The Other Side
by Immortal Thunder
Summary: A female OC in P4G. She's NOTHING like the regular MC. There'll be a few changes to the Social Links, obviously, plus a gender-bent Naoto (we're not there yet). It follows the main story line VERY CLOSELY, with a few changes and a few extra scenes and events (or at least, that's what I'm planning). Please enjoy it and feel free to critique my writing at any time.
1. The Velvet Room

I sat in a limousine that was driving through a thick fog. Everything was covered in blue. In front of me sat a tuxedo-wearing, balding old man with a very long nose. He reminded me of Pinocchio, only he was hunched over, as if his back was broken. His black eyebrows above his huge, bloodshot eyes were like fluffy caterpillars. A small blue table was in front of him. Next to him sat a woman with long, flowing white hair and golden eyes. She wore a blue dress with eight large, yellow circles going down the front.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the old man said with an eerie smile. "Ah… It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny," he said, chuckling. "My name is Igor…. I am delighted to make your acquaintance.

"This pace exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future. Now then... why don't you introduce yourself?"

"I-I'm Misaki Ishida," I said.

"Hm…. I see," he replied. "Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?"

He put his hand over the center of the table and cards appeared.

"Do you believe in fortune telling?" he asked. He waved his hand and the cards spread out, facing down. Six on the edge of the table and one in the middle. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different." He chuckled. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?" He gestured with his hand and the card on the bottom right corner flipped over. It looked like a tower being struck by lightning with a bunch of people falling off the top of it. On the bottom was the Roman Numeral XVI. "Hm... The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent." What? That's bad.

"The card indicating the future beyond that is…." He gestured again and the card on the bottom left corner flipped over. It was a crescent moon. "The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery'…. Very interesting indeed.

"It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you," he continued.

_Oh great,_ I thought sarcastically,_ Just what I needed. More trouble._

"In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny…. If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost." Why is he telling me all this? He's adding to my stress and anxiety….

"My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen," he said. _How is he going to help me…?_ I wondered. He waved his hand over the table and the cards disappeared.

"Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you," Igor exclaimed. He gestured to the woman. "This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself," he explained.

"My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey," she informed me.

"We shall attend to the details another time," Igor said. "Until then, farewell." Everything faded into black.


	2. First Day in Inaba

**Monday, 4/11 (Daytime)**

A girl dressed in a bikini was advertising something on T.V. I stepped onto the train, thinking about the day the teacher told the class I was going to leave. I sighed. I'm gonna miss my old school….

All of a sudden, a vision of an old man with a long nose and a woman dressed in blue hit me. It disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

I checked my phone. The text said, "Meet me at the station by 4:00."

Soon, I heard the warning that we would arrive at my destination soon, so I grabbed my bag and walked out.

"Hey! Over here!" a man in a broadcloth shirt called. He had short, black hair. He wore a red tie and black pants. Behind him hid a girl who wore a pink shirt and a dark skirt. She had pigtails on both sides. "Well, you're prettier in person than in your photo," he said. I blushed and said, "Thanks."

"Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be looking after you," he introduced. "Let's see…. I'm your mother's younger brother, and that about sums it up."

"It's nice to meet you," I replied with a smile.

"You probably don't remember, but we've met. I've changed your diapers before, you know?" he laughed. I smiled shyly, not knowing what to say. He brought out the girl behind him.

"This here's my daughter," he said. He looked down at the girl. "Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin." She looked down shyly.

"Hello," she said briefly as she walked to her hiding spot. Dojima chuckled.

"What're you so shy for?" he asked, a smile lighting up his face. Nanako slapped him. I tried not to laugh.

"Ow," he said, laughing. She glared at him.

Well then…. Let's get going," he said. "My car's over there." He walked over to his car as a girl bumped into me.

"….Hey," she said. She had black, shiny hair. She wore a short-sleeved broadcloth shirt and a red skirt. She sported a black tie and a red collar. Her black-and-white-striped socks were up to her thighs. She bent to pick up something.

"You dropped this," she said.

_ She looks like a mean person…._ I thought.

"Thanks," I said, reaching for it.

"Whatever. All I did was pick it up," she replied. I read the paper. It's the note I made for myself with Dojima's address. She turned around and left.

"What's wrong," Dojima called.

"Uh… nothing!" I called back as I went over to the car.

Dojima stopped by the gas station.

"Hi! Welcome to Moel!" a gas station attendant greeted. He had his white hair down to shoulder length. Dojima looked at Nanako.

"Can you go to the bathroom by yourself?" he asked. Nanako nodded. Dojima got out of the car and talked to the gas station attendant as Nanako walked towards the bathroom.

"It's in the back, to your left," the attendant called. "You know which way's left? The side you don't hold your chopsticks in."

"I know…. Jeez…." Nanako muttered, annoyed. I decided to get out as well. I stretched my arms and legs as my uncle and the attendant talked. Dojima walked away after they were done.

"Are you in high school?" he asked me. I nodded. "Does it surprise a city girl to see how little is out here?"

"Uh…." I began.

"There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs," the attendant said. "Speaking of which, we're actually looking for part-time help right now." He walked toward me. "Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if you're a student," he continued. He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Oh, I should get back to work," he muttered, walking off. I saw Nanako looking at me.

I saw a white flash and my head started throbbing. I put my hand to my temple and massaged it.

"…Are you okay?" Nanako asked worriedly. "Did you get carsick? You don't look too good…." Well… I do feel a bit dizzy…. Dojima walked over and studied me.

"What's wrong? You okay?" he asked.

"I-I'm alright…." I answered weakly. Talking was never my strong point….

"It must've been a long trip for you," he said. "Why not take a little walk, get some fresh air?" he suggested. "Just let me know when you're ready to go."_ That rhymes,_ I thought, trying to hide my smile.

"Okay…. Thanks," I replied, glad I could actually explore this town a bit.

"The shopping district is near the house, so you should get to know where all the stores are," Dojima explained. I nodded and turned around. I spotted the mean-looking girl from before.

_ Should I talk to her…?_ I thought._ No I shouldn't. I'll just screw it up._

I walked to a green store. The sign said, "Yomenaido Bookstore". There were stands holding books outside of it. I glanced inside. It's fairly empty in there.

Then I went to the store next to it. It looked like some kind of antique shop. The sign said, "Daidara Metalworks". I glanced inside and saw a fierce-looking man pounding on something in the back of the store. I decided not to enter.

The store next to that was a store called Marukyu Tofu. An old woman was tending the store.

I walked down further and heard a girl and boy arguing.

"…it wasn't leftovers! I was making sure to save it for later!" the boy shouted, glaring at the girl.

"Oh, really? Sorry 'bout that," the girl said. I walked past them and stood in front of the… "Shiroku Store". A whole bunch of products lined the shelves. A friendly-looking old lady sat behind the counter.

After exploring the area a bit, I decided to go back to the car.

We arrived at the house. I'll be staying here for the next year….

The house was small and cozy. There was a small kitchen next to the front door and a dining table of in front of it. Further in was a coffee table with huge pillows on the floor on each of the sides. To the left of it, against the wall, was a couch. In the right corner sat a small television.

**(Evening)**

The three of us sat at the small coffee table.

"All right, let's have a toast," Dojima announced. We raise our glasses, then downed our drinks.

"So, your mom and dad are busy as always…. They're working overseas, was it?" Dojima said. "I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents… It's rough being a kid.

"Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having some like you around. So long as you're here, you're part of the family, so make yourself at home."

"Thank you…." I muttered. Dojima chuckled.

"C'mon, there's no need to be so formal," he laughed. "Look, you're making Nanako all tense." He glanced at Nanako. She quickly looked down.

"Well, anyway…. Let's eat," Dojima said hastily. I nodded. I picked up my chopsticks as a phone started ringing.

"Ugh…. Who's calling at this hour?" he muttered. He picked it up.

"Dojima speaking."

[….]

He stood up. "Yeah?"

[…...]

"I see…. So where is it?"

[…..]

"All right, I'm on my way," he finally said. "Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze," he muttered as he closed the flip-phone. "Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business. Go ahead and eat without me," he told us. "I don't know how late I'll be. Nanako, you help him out, okay?" Nanako nodded slowly. Dojima went outside.

"Nanako, it's raining out," Dojima called. "What did you do with the laundry!?"

"I already brought it in!" Nanako replied loudly.

"Alright. Well, I'm off!" he called back. He drove off.

Nanako turned on the T.V. They're announcing the weather.

"Let's eat," Nanako said shyly. I nodded and started eating._ What should I say to her?_ I thought.

"What does your dad do?" I asked.

"He investigates stuff. Like crimes scenes," Nanako answered. "My dad's a detective."

"Cool!" I said, giving her a big smile. She smiled briefly and looked at the T.V.

The announcer was talking about this guy named Taro Namatame who was fired for being in a relationship with a female reporter.

"This is boring," Nanako commented. I guess it's boring for a little girl who doesn't understand this kind of stuff. She switched the channel. It showed a commercial.

"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Com see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!" a woman announced. " Every day's great at your Junes! "

" Every day's great at your Junes! " Nanako sang. She looked at me.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

"R-right!" I stammered, laughing. We finished eating our dinner.

Pooped, I headed upstairs to the room I'm borrowing from my uncle. I shuffled to the futon and flopped on it. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I found myself kneeling on the floor. I slowly stood up and looked at my surroundings. The floor was made of red blocks and there were cracks between them. Fog enveloped everything, so the only thing I can see is the floor. I turned back and walked a few steps before hitting some kind of invisible wall. I guess I can only go forward….

So I walked straight. The pathway went diagonal from there and the blocks were scattered around randomly, so there were more cracks to watch out for. Carefully, I continued forward. After a few minutes of walking, I heard a voice I couldn't make out.

"Do you seek the truth?" it asked. I kept walking. "If it is truth you desire, come and find me…" it said. I started jogging forward for some reason. After a few minutes, I found myself in front of a square wall thing. It had a large black square in the center and a red square in the middle of that. I touched it and it twisted around and opened.

"So… you are the one chasing me…" a figure in front of me said. "Try all you like," it chuckled. I felt something in my hand. I glanced down and saw a sword in it. It seems I have to fight….

I ran forward and swung at the figure. I felt contact and backed away.

"Hmmm…. It seems that you can see a little, despite the fog," it mused. I swung at it again. "I see…. Indeed that is very interesting information…." I kept attacking it. "But you will not catch me so easily. If what you seek is 'truth', then your search will be even harder…."

The figure did something and the fog thickened. I didn't know that was possible! Now I can barely see my hand in front of my face. I tried to attack it and missed.

"Everyone sees what they want to, and the fog only deepens," the figure said. What is it talking about? "Will we meet again…?" it mused. "At a place other than here…?" it chuckled. "I look forward to it."

I began to lose consciousness. Everything went black.


	3. Starting Class

**Tuesday, 4/12 (Early Morning)**

"Breakfast is ready!" someone called._ Ugh…. I don't wanna get up..._ I slowly pushed myself up and groaned. I felt like I had a nightmare…. What was that about…? All of a sudden I remembered I had to go to school today, so I forced myself to get up. I got ready and went downstairs groggily.

"Good morning," Nanako greeted. I glanced down at my skirt and sighed. I hate wearing these….

We sat at the dining table. There was toast and some sunny-side-up eggs all ready.

"Okay," Nanako said, "let's eat."

"Do you do the cooking?" I asked, biting into my toast.

"I can toast bread and cook sunny-side-up eggs in the morning," she replied.

_ She's so responsible!_ I thought, amazed.

"Dad can't cook, so I buy dinner," she continued. "You're starting school today, right? My school's on the way, so… let's go together." I smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing, Nanako-chan," I said happily. We finished our breakfast and went to school.

We entered the flood plain and stopped.

"You keep going straight from here," Nanako told me. "My school's this way. Bye!" She walked back.

I walked to the intersection in front of the school as a student on a bike wobbled past me. He crashed somewhere ahead of me.

The boy had light brown hair down past his ears. He was bent over. It seems he's putting his hand over… uh… a place._ Ouch…._

"You okay?" I asked, moving closer to him.

"Y-yeah…. I'm…. fine...," he groaned. I watched him for a second, not knowing what to say.

"W-well… see you at school…," I said awkwardly as I headed to school.

I arrived at the main gates of Yasogami High School. I wonder what kind of student life I would have here. I went in.

I made my way up the stairs. _This place looks pretty cool,_ I thought. The floor was made of wood and it has that… cozy feeling to it.

I got lost but finally made my way to the classroom. Before I reached the door, a short man wearing a blue outfit stopped me. He was bent over in a 45-degree angle. He looked like an evil villain.

"You the transfer student?" he asked rudely. I nodded nervously. "Go in behind me. I need to introduce you to the class." I nodded again. He went in and I followed him.

"Awright, shut your traps!" he yelled. "I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward! First things first! Just 'cause it's spring, doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons! Long as I'm around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow! Now I hate wasting my time, but I'd better introduce this transfer student.

"This sad sack's been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's garbage. And she's just as much of a loser here as she was there, so you boys better not get any ideas of hitting on her!"

_Who the hell does he think he is?_ I thought angrily, clenching my fists as I tried to restrain myself from punching him in the stomach.

"Tell'em your name, kid, and make it quick," Morooka ordered.

"… You calling me a loser…?" I muttered angrily before I caught myself. Everyone stared at me with shocked faces. Morooka glared at me. I blushed and looked at my feet.

"That's it, you're on my s*** list, effective immediately," he said. "Now listen up! This town is miles away from your big city of perverts and ass****s, in more ways than one. You better not even think of getting involved with the guys here, let alone abusing them!" Why would I do such a thing!? This… "teacher" is really getting me pissed off.

"But what do I know? It's not like the old days. Even here, kids grow up so damn fast…," he continued. I tuned him out, trying to get my anger under control. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.

_ Don't punch him, don't punch him, don't punch him…,_ I thought, fidgeting.

"Excuse me!" a girl with short, brown hair called. She wore a bright green jacket. "Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure." Morooka turned to me. "Ya hear that? You're seat's over there. So hurry up and siddown already!"

I quickly went to my seat (which is the third row, middle column, on the left) and sat down. I'm usually afraid of teachers like him, but right now, I really want to beat the crap out of him!

"He's the worst, huh?" the girl next to me whispered. She was the one that asked Morooka to let me sit here. "Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class…. Well, we just have to hang in there for a year." I nodded. The students started gossiping around me. I heard the students talk about me being in this class and Morooka. Then he shut us up.

I sighed._ What a year this is gonna be…,_ I thought.

**(After School)**

Class finally ended. All of a sudden, the school intercom announced something.

"Attention, all teachers," the woman said. "Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice."

Morooka said something, but I ignored him. Then I heard sirens from somewhere close by. This isn't good…. All the students started gossiping.

A boy walked over to the girl in front of me to the right. She had fairly long, black hair and sported a red head band. Her bangs fell right above her eyebrows. She wore a bright red sweater.

"Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?" the boy asked.

"I can't discuss such things," the girl replied, looking down.

"Y-yeah, I guess not," he said. He walked back to his friends. The girl next to me stood up and went to the red-wearing girl. She sighed.

"Sheesh, how much longer is this gonna take?" she asked, rubbing her head.

"There's no telling," the girl wearing red replied.

"I shoulda left before the announcement came on," the green-wearing girl muttered. "By the way, did you try what I told you the other day?" The red girl looked confused. "You know… that thing about rainy nights…."

"Oh… no, not yet. Sorry," the red girl answered apologetically.

"That's okay," the green girl said. "It's just, I heard a guy in the class next door yell something like, 'My soul mate is Yamano, the announcer!'"

"Attention, all students," the school intercom said. "There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone."_ What happened?_ The intercom said other stuff but I ignored it.

I stood up, as the girl wearing green and the girl wearing red came up to me.

"Hey, are you going home by yourself?" Green Girl asked. I nodded. "Why don't you come with us? Oh I nearly forgot! I'm Chie Satonaka. You know I sit next to you, right?"

"Of course!" I said with a small smile.

"Well, nice to meet you!" she turned to the red girl. "This is Yukiko Amagi," she introduced.

"Oh, nice to meet you," the red girl said. "I'm so sorry that this is so sudden."

"C'mon, don't apologize like that. It makes me look like I got no upbringing," Chie protested. "I just wanted to ask some stuff. Really, that's all." We were about to leave when the bicycle guy stopped us.

"Uh, umm, Miss Satonaka?" he stammered. "This was really awesome. Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see…. And…. I'm really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!" he said as he bowed and shoved something towards Chie. He straightened. "See ya! Thanks!" he yelled as he ran off.

"Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD!?" Chie yelled as she ran after him. I heard a loud thud and winced. "What the!? I can't believe this! It's completely cracked!" she cried. "My "Trial of the Dragon…."

"I-I think mine's cracked too…. C-critical hit to the nads," the boy groaned.

"A-are you all right?" Yukiko asked.

"Oh, Yukiko-san…. Are you worried about me?" the boy asked painfully.

"He's fine, Yukiko," Chie snapped. "Let's ditch him and go home." The girls walked out. I looked at the boy.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I-I think I'm fine," he muttered.

"Well… uh…. See ya," I said as I left.

_Girls can be so cruel...,_ I thought.

I caught up to Chie and Yukiko. There was a strange student talking to Yukiko. He was from a different school, judging from his uniform. His black hair was messy and his eyes… looked like they were dead. Empty.

"You're Yuki, right?" he asked, "Y-you want to go hang out somewhere?"

"What…?" Yukiko replied. "Wh-who are you?" I heard some students talking about the strange guy.

"Um, so, are you coming or not?" the strange boy demanded.

"I-I'm not going," Yukiko replied quietly.

"Fine!" the boy yelled as he ran off.

"Wh-what did he want from me?" Yukiko muttered.

"'What did he want?' Obviously, he was asking you out on a date," Chie explained impatiently.

_ Yukiko doesn't know anything about this stuff, huh?_ I thought, smiling to myself.

"Huh? Really?" she exclaimed. I wanted to face palm.

"You really had no clue? Sheesh…," Chie muttered. "But then again, that was way over the top. It was creepy how he called you Yuki all of a sudden." I agreed. The guy that got kicked in the balls came up to us with his bike.

"Yo, Yukiko-san," he greeted. "Turned down another lovelorn fool, huh? Man, you're cruel. You got me the same way last year.'

"I don't recall doing that," she replied.

"Whoa, you serious? So then, you wanna hang out sometime?" he asked. I could tell he was desperate for a girlfriend. I sighed.

"I'd rather not," Yukiko said.

"That'll teach me to get my hopes up," the boy muttered. "Anyways, you two better not pick on the transfer student too much." He cycled away.

"We're just curious is all!" Chie yelled. Yukiko turned to me.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," she apologized.

"It's alright," I replied. More people started to crowd around us.

"C'mon, let's go. Everyone's staring," Chie whispered. She briskly walked away. Yukiko and I followed her.

As we walked home, Chie shot a barrage of questions at me. I tried my best to answer them all.

"Ah… so you came here because of your parents' job," Chie said and chuckled. "I thought it was something way more serious." I shrugged, not knowing what to say.

Chie looked around.

"There really is nothing here, huh?" she observed. I shrugged again. "That's what makes it nice, but there is nothing much we can show to people from outside.

"Though there is something from Mt. Yasogami… I think our dyed clothes or pottery or something is kinda famous. Oh wait! And there's the Amagi Inn! Yukiko's family runs it. It's the pride of Inaba!" Chie announced proudly, as if she owned it.

"It's… just an old inn," Yukiko said modestly.

"No way! It's been in all sorts of magazines as a hidden treasure!" Chie argued. She turned to me with a bright smile. "It's a great inn! It's been going for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday!" Man… from the way she said it, you'd think she's Yukiko's mom….

"Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going," Chie continued. I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" I said, looking at Yukiko. "Wow…" She blushed.

"I don't think that's entirely true," she said hesitantly.

"If you were a guy, you'd think Yukiko's cute, right?" Chie asked out of the blue.

"Wh-what? Where did that come from?" I stammered.

"C'mon! Would you think she's cute or not?" she persisted. I sighed.

"I guess," I muttered. She laughed.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed. Yukiko looked down.

"Come on…," she protested. "Don't start this again…."

"She's really popular at school, but she's never had a boyfriend," Chie continued, ignoring Yukiko's protests. "Kinda weird, huh?"

"C-come on, stop it," Yukiko said, blushing. "Y-you shouldn't believe that, okay? It's not true that I'm popular or that I've never had a boyfriend!" She stopped for a second and waved her hand in front of her quickly. "Wait, n-n-no! What I meant to say was, I-I don't need a boyfriend!" she protested frantically. She glanced at her friend. "Geez… Chie!" Chie laughed.

"Sorry! I'm sorry. But this is our chance to talk to someone from the big city, and you barely said a word!" she said. Then she looked ahead, her smile fading. "Hey, what's that?"

We walked towards the commotion. Some housewives were talking about something. It seems there was a dead body hanging from an antenna, but the police took it down before we got there.

"Wait…. What did she say? A dead body!?" Chie exclaimed. I felt the adrenaline pumping through me. What's going on?

Dojima walked over to us.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" he inquired.

"D-did anything happen?" I asked nervously. He remained silent for a while.

"Well… you could say that," he finally replied, sighing. "That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here," Dojima muttered to himself. Chie turned to me.

"You know this guy?" she asked. I nodded. Dojima heard us and introduced himself. Then he ordered us to go straight home as another man ran past us. He went off into the bushes and puked.

"Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie?" Dojima scolded. "You want to be sent back to the central office?"

"I-I'm sorry…," the young detective groaned. Dojima sighed and told the detective to gather information. The detective ran off after Dojima as he left.

"Was this what that announcement was about?" Chie pondered.

"What do they mean 'it was hanging from the antenna'?" Yukiko muttered, looking worried. Chie turned to Yukiko and canceled their plans to go to Junes, wherever that was. Yukiko nodded. Chie smiled at me.

"Alright then! We're taking off. Starting tomorrow, neighbor, let's do our best!" Chie said. "Neighbor"? Oh. I guess I am her neighbor, since I sit next to her in class.

"Yeah. See ya!" I said as they left. I decided to go explore the town a bit. I went to the north side of the shopping district.

There was a restaurant called Chinese Diner Aiya, the restaurant closest to the south side. Next to it was a shop called Souzai Daigaku. It had a bunch of appetizing dishes out on display, but the owner was not there._ Huh._

The one next to that was the… "Maruake Hobby Shop". The shutters are closed here. Across from that was Tatsuhime Shrine. Next to it was Tatsumi Textiles. And next to that was a barber shop. Across the street was Konishi Liquors.

After exploring the shopping district, I decided to go to the flood plain. As I was walking around, I realized that there were a bunch of police on patrol, which made me nervous.

I climbed down the stairs to the riverbank. After walking around a bit, I realized it was late, so I went home.

**(Evening)**

I sat down with Nanako at the table in front of the T.V.

"I wonder if Dad's not coming home again tonight…," she muttered. The news talked about a woman being found dead here. The School Zone is being shown on T.V._ Is this… the incident that I heard about? About the dead body hanging from the antenna?_

The dead person was identified as Mayumi Yamano, a 27-year-old announcer. They said that the results of the Inaba Police Department's investigation have revealed other things that I didn't pay attention to.

"The Inaba Police Department! That's where Dad works!" Nanako exclaimed. She looked worried.

"It'll be all right," I assured her.

"I know. That's his job, so this stuff happens," Nanako said, though she still looked worried.

"The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof," the announcer said. "Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. With the cause of death also uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide…." The news continues as I think about the situation. I don't know if I'm going to be safe here anymore….

"They found her on the roof? That's scary," Nanako said. She looked up and gasped. "Oh! It's Junes!"

"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!" the woman announced happily. "Every day's great at your Junes!" she sang.

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako repeated. She looked at me.

"Every day's great at your Junes," I sang. She looked surprised.

"You memorized it already? I'm the best in my class!" Nanako boasted. I smiled.

"That's great!" I said._ Did they have a competition or something?_ She sang the song to herself repeatedly. It looks like she forgot about the creepy story._ That's good. A little girl shouldn't worry about things like that,_ I thought. I stood up and went to my room and slept.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! Please critique my writing if you see any mistakes or something.****  
><strong>


	4. The Midnight Channel

**Wednesday, 4/13 (Early Morning)**

Boom! Clatter! The boy from yesterday (the one riding the bike) crashed into a trash can. In front of me.

"S-someone…" he muttered. I jogged over and helped him out. As I was pulling the trash can from his upper body, a short boy snickered. I glanced at him quickly. He had short black hair and he looked younger than me. He walked away with a small smile on his face. I turned my attention back to the bicycle guy. After a few seconds of grunting and pulling, I finally freed him.

"Whew! You saved me. Thanks! Umm…," he said. "Oh yeah, that's right. You're that transfer student Misaki Ishida." He blushed when he realized that I was the one who saved him. "I'm Yosuke Hanamura. Nice to meet you." I looked at him with worry.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Say, did you hear about the incident from yesterday? They found that announcer lady hanging from an antenna!"

"Yeah… it was really weird," I replied.

"You think it was some kinda warning? There's no way something that weird could've been an accident," he said.

"Yeah… you might be right," I replied.

"Dangling a dead body over a roof like that… that's just messed up," he said. I nodded in agreement. "Then again," he continued, "it's pretty messed up to kill someone in the first place." I nodded again. He glanced down at his watch.

"Oh crap, we're late!" he yelled. "You wanna ride? It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine."

"Uh…." I muttered. "I think I'll walk."

**(In Class, Morning)**

King Moron (Mr. Morooka) lectured us about stuff. I listened to it reluctantly, only because it might be on the test.

**(After School)**

"So, you getting used to this place?" Yosuke inquired.

"Yeah, a little bit," I answered.

"Wow, that was fast," he replied. "There isn't much to do here compared to the big city, but there is that certain… something you can't get anywhere else. The air's clean, the food's great…." I nodded in agreement. He's right about that. "Oh you know about the local delicacy? It's grilled steak, man! Like that's anything special, huh?"

"I like steak," I said with a small smile.

"Really? You remind me of Chie," he laughed. "I know a place where you can get it cheap. Wanna come? You helped me out this morning, so it's on me."

"You sure?" I asked. He blushed.

"Y-yeah," he said. Chie walked up.

"What about me, huh? No apologies?" she demanded. "My 'Trial of the Dragon'." Yosuke sighed.

"You always come around when I'm talking about food…," Yosuke muttered. Chie looked at Yukiko.

"How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us, too?" she asked.

"I'll pass. I don't want to gain any more weight," she replied. "I need to help out at the inn today, anyway."

_She must be busy all the time, then,_ I thought.

"Wow, Yukiko-san! You started training to take over the business?" Yosuke asked.

"It's not like that!" Yukiko protested. "I'm just helping out when it gets busy. Well I should be on my way." She walked away quickly.

"Oh well," Chie said. "We should get going too."

"Do I seriously have to treat two people?" Yosuke sighed.

"You don't have to treat me if you don't want to," I said.

"Nah… it's okay…," he muttered. We went to the Junes food court.

Yosuke came back with the food. Chie looked exasperated.

"_This_ is the cheap place you were talking about?" Chie demanded. "They don't have grilled steak here!"

"Yeah, well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans," Yosuke replied.

"Still, that's no reason to take us to your place," she replied angrily._ "Your place"?_

"Dude, this isn't my place or anything," he said. He turned to me. "Oh, right. I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city about six months back. This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it. So our entire family came out here." He picked up his drink. "Here. This is to welcome you to town." I reached over and grabbed my drink. "Satonaka, yours is on me, too."

"Yeah, I know," she said, picking up her drink. We raised our drinks and drank it. Then we talked for a bit.

"Hey, it's Saki-senpai!" Yosuke said. "Sorry! Be right back."

"Who's that?" I asked Chie as Yosuke went over to her.

"That's Saki Konishi. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district," Chie explained. "I think she's working here part-time, though."

"Oh," I said. I watched as Saki and Yosuke talked. Then Saki looked over in my direction. She walked over to me. Yosuke followed her.

"Are you the transfer student?" she inquired. "Did you hear about me already? It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much."

"Uh—not necessarily," Yosuke protested.

"He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you two get along good," Saki continued. "Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you." Yosuke's face turned a bit red.

"He's fine, really!" I said, laughing awkwardly. She chuckled.

"I know. I'm just kidding," she said.

"C-c'mon, Senpai. There's no need to worry about that," Yosuke said.

"Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go," Saki said. "Laters!"

"Oh, uh, Senpai!" Yosuke called. He sat back down when he realized she didn't hear him. He laughed.

"Saki-senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me," he laughed. "She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way."

"Ooohhh, so you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh? Haha, I get it… so that's how it is…," Chie teased. "The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain… hoho, the flame of forbidden love!" I tried not to laugh.

"Wha-!? Dude, it's not like that!" Yosuke protested.

"Oh reaaally? Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart," Chie said. "You ever hear of the Midnight Channel? You're supposed to look into a T.V. that's switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen… and they say that person's your soulmate!"

"What? For a second, I thought you were actually going to say something useful," Yosuke said. "How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?" I agreed but didn't say anything. I didn't want Chie getting mad at me.

"Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you!?" Chie almost shouted.

"Of course I don't," he said.

"Well, it's raining tonight!" Chie said. "Let's all try it out—then you'll see!"

"'Try it out'?" Yosuke repeated slowly. "Wait, you haven't even tried it yourself!?" My thoughts exactly. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Wow...," Yosuke said, "I'm trying to remember the last time I hear something this stupid….

"All that aside, you know that 'incident' yesterday? You guys think it was murder?" he asked. "Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around…?" He laughed evilly.

"Sheesh! You shouldn't joke about stuff like that," Chie muttered. "Now who's the childish one?

"All I'm saying is: you guys better try it out tonight," she continued. As stupid as it sounds, it piqued my curiosity. Could it actually work? I should try it out tonight….

We talked until it became late. We all said our good-byes and went home.

**(Evening)**

Nanako and I ate dinner together. She sighed.

"Did your dad call?" I asked. She sighed again.

"No. He always_ says_ he will," she muttered. I heard the door open and close. Nanako's face lit up.

"Oh! He's home!" she squealed. Dojima breathed out heavily.

"What a day…," he muttered. "I'm back. Did anything happen while I was out?"

"No. You're late again," Nanako accused.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Been busy at work." He sat down on the couch. "Can you put the news on for me?" he asked Nanako. She looked sad, but she did as he said.

The news talked about Mayumi Yamano. She had been involved in an affair with Taro Namatame, husband of enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi. It was basically a follow-up report about the incident yesterday.

_ Hmm…_ I thought,_ Could the incident be tied to the lovers' fight?_

"… we now bring you an exclusive interview with the local student who found Ms. Yamano's body," the announcer continued. Dojima yawned.

"An interview with the kid?" he muttered. "Where the hell did they find her?"

"What went through your mind when you saw it?" the reporter asked, sounding excited. Too excited, if you ask me. "Could you tell she was dead? Did you see her face?" he asked relentlessly.

"U-umm…," the female student said. Her voice and face were indistinct, although she reminded me of Saki Konishi.

"Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?" the reporter continued.

"Huh? She was killed?" the girl asked.

"Oh, err…. So did you see anyone suspicious around here?" the reporter asked.

"No, not really," the girl answered. The reporter bombarded her with more questions. The news continued.

"….. So the cause of death is still unknown?" a commentator inquired. "And they don't have a single suspect yet? Taxpayers' funds are going to a police force who can't even figure out if this is an accident or a homicide?" Dojima sighed. This commentator sure is rude….

The commercials started. Junes's commercial showed up again.

"…. Everyday's great at your Junes!" the woman sang. Nanako repeated it happily.

"Hey Dad," Nanako said. "Can we go to Junes together sometime?" We looked back to see Dojima fast asleep.

"No…?" Nanako asked. She sighed. "Geez…." I stood up and went to the refrigerator. Nothing caught my eye, so I went upstairs.

It was pouring outside and it's almost midnight. So I decided to try out what Chie told me about.

"Your soulmate appears if you look into a T.V. on a rainy night." Is Chie's story true?

I went in front of the small T.V. in my room. I waited for a bit, but nothing came on.

"So it's not true, after all," I muttered. I was about to turn around when I saw the T.V. turn itself on. There was a girl in our school's uniform. Suddenly, my head started pounding.

** I am thou, thou art I...**

I stumbled back, grabbing my head. I felt like someone was hitting it with a hammer.

**Thou art the one... who opens the door...**

_What's going on!?_

The pain stopped after a few seconds. I don't know why I did it, but I reached out and touched the T.V. White circle things came out from where I touched it, as if I touched the surface of water. I put my hold hand in and it went through! I was so shocked, I lost my balance and fell forward. My head went inside. Quickly, I grabbed hold of the outside of the T.V., trying to get out. Finally, I managed to pull my head out. I stumbled backwards and fell down, hitting my head against the coffee table.

"Are you okay?" Nanako called.

"I-I'm alright," I called back, rubbing my head.

"Okay," she replied. "Well, good night." She seemed to have gone back to her room.

I looked at the T.V. What the hell just happened…? I decided to talk about it with the others tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hoped you enjoyed it! Please feel free to critique me anytime.**


	5. Inside the TV

**Thursday, 4/14 (Early Morning)**

Chie ran to me and forced herself under my umbrella.

The rain pattered against the umbrella.

"I did have my own, but I saw this kung fu movie where they used an umbrella to pull off some sweet moves," Chie explained. "And… I accidently broke mine trying to mimic the movie."_ Figures…._ She laughed awkwardly. "By the way… did you see it?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I did," I replied, nodding.

"Aha, do tell. But the person it showed…." She looked down. "Never mind. I'll save it for when the others are around. We're gonna be late for school." I nodded and we walked to school.

**(Morning)**

Ms. Kimiko Sofue talked about herself and history for a while.

"Our transferee, Ms. Ishida, please stand up," she called. I did as she asked.

"The western calendar is based on Anno Domini, the traditionally believed year of Jesus Christ's birth. What is the year before 1 A.D. called?" she asked.

"I B.C.," I replied.

"Ah, you seem to understand this well," Ms. Sofue said, nodding. "If you think history is like math, 0 A.D. would be the natural assumption, but world history is much more complicated…." I sat down as she lectured us.

**(After School)**

"What's you with the body being hung upside-down? That's so freaky!" a short girl exclaimed.

"Is it supposed to be like, mimicking an execution?" her friend replied. "It's messed up…."

"My senpai told me it was a third-year named Saki who found the body," the short girl said.

Yosuke walked over to me.

"Yo, um…," he greeted quietly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's, uh, it's not really that important, but…," he said. "Yesterday on T.V. I…." He looked embarrassed. "Oh, uh… never mind. Look I'll tell you later." He laughed awkwardly. Chie went up to us.

"Yosuke, did you hear the rumor?" she asked. "Saki-senpai's supposedly the one who discovered that body."

"I wonder if that's why she looked so down…. She doesn't seem to be at school today either," Yosuke muttered. Yukiko stood up.

"Hey Yukiko," Chie called, "are you helping out at the inn today, too?"

"Things are really out of hand right now. I'm sorry," she apologized as she walked away.

"Is it just me, or does Yukiko-san seem way stressed out today?" Yosuke commented.

"I guess they're running her ragged," Chie replied. "By the way, did you see… it… last night?"

"Huh?" he said. "Uh, well… what about you?"

"I did!" Chie exclaimed. "I seriously saw a girl! But my soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean? I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure.

"Her hair was brown, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform, and…"

"Hey… I think that's the same person I saw," Yosuke said. "I couldn't make out that much detail, though. The image I saw was much blurrier," he continued.

"Wait, so you saw it too!?' Chie yelled, looking surprised. "And we saw the same girl? Does that mean we have the same soulmate…?"

"How should I know?" he replied. He turned to me. "How about you? Did you see it?" I nodded and explained everything that happened last night.

"It sounds like we all saw the same person…," Yosuke muttered. "But weird voices aside, what was that about getting sucked into your T.V.?

"Were you that tired last night? You must've just fallen asleep in front of your T.V."

"That'd be one interesting dream, though," Chie remarked. "I like the part where you got stuck 'cause your T.V. was too small. That's pretty realistic. If it had been bigger….

"Oh! That reminds me. Our family's been talking about buying a bigger T.V."

"Oh yeah? Well, flat-screen T.V.'s are definitely in these days," Yosuke said. "Wanna go check 'em out on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month."

"Definitely!" Chie replied happily. "My parents don't know anything about electronic, and I've just gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen! Hwa-taaaa!" she yelled, jumping into a pose. I raised an eyebrow at her. She blushed and returned to her standing position.

"We've got some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they'd be big enough for you to fit into," Yosuke laughed. I sighed. They don't believe me at all….

_Well… it's hard to believe something like that,_ I reasoned. I decided to go to Junes with the others.

"Wow, this is huge!" Chie yelled. We were looking at the T.V.'s at Junes. "And… holy crap, it's expensive! Who buys something like this?" she exclaimed.

"I dunno… rich folks?" Yosuke suggested. "Honestly, not many people shop for T.V.s here. That's why we don't have clerks around."

"Not worth try then, I guess," she sighed. "Well, at least looking's free." Then the two of them walked up to the T.V. and touched the screen. They were obviously teasing me.

Their hands didn't go through.

"Nope, can't get in. Figures," Yosuke said. Chie laughed.

"This proves it. It was all just a dream," she chuckled.

"Besides, these flat-screen T.V.'s are so thin, you'd just end up on the other side," he said. He slapped himself in the head. "What am I saying?

"So, Chie. What kind of T.V. are you guys in the market for?" Yosuke asked her.

"They said they wanted one that's cheap," Chie replied. "You got any suggestions?" They walked off. I heard Yosuke say something in a deeper voice and Chie complained about something. They continued shopping.

I looked at the T.V. Oh well. Might as well try it. I went closer to it and place my hand on the screen. It went through, just like last night! Chie and Yosuke ran over.

"You gotta be kidding me…," Chie said. "Did you really stick your hand through the screen!?"

"Oh man… this is for real…. That's some magic trick, dude!" Yosuke stuttered. "So how's it work, huh? What's the magician's secret?"

"I don't know…," I answered weakly. "It just went through…." I climbed over as if it was a shelf. Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to put my whole body inside.

"Hey, don't do that! What're you doing!?" Yosuke yelled.

"Oh my God!" Chie screamed.

"It's empty inside," I remarked.

"Wh-what do you mean, 'inside'!?" Yosuke yelled.

"Wh-what do you mean, 'empty space'!?" Chie shouted.

"It's pretty spacious in here, too…," I told them.

"Wh-what do you mean, 'spacious'!?" Yosuke asked.

"What's going on!?" Chie demanded.

"Holy crap… I think this is all too much for my bladder," Yosuke said, jogging in place with his hand over his... private area.

"What the-? Are you going to pee your pants?" Chie asked.

"I've been holding it all day! I-I haven't had a chance to go!" Yosuke explained frantically. "I. Can't… hold… it… anymore…!" He ran off and came back. "S***! Customers! They're coming!" he warned.

"What!?" Chie yelled. "But we've got a girl half stuck in the T.V. here! What're we gonna do!?" They ran around panicked. I felt them fall into me and we all fell into the T.V.

"AAHHH!" we screamed.

I saw a white background thing and black squares with empty space in them swirl around and fly towards me.

I landed hard on the floor. I heard everyone else fall around me.

"Ow," muttered Yosuke as he rubbed his back. "I landed right on my wallet…."

"Man… where the heck are we?" Chie asked. "What is this place?" I stood up painfully. "Some place inside Junes?" Chie continued.

"Hell no it isn't!" Yosuke replied sharply. "I mean—we fell through a T.V.!

"Actually, uh…. What is going on here?" I glanced at the others.

"So, uh… we're still alive…. Right?" Chie muttered. I rubbed my lower back.

"You guys okay?" I asked.

"I think my butt's cracked now," Yosuke muttered.

"Of course it is!" Chie said.

"Woah!" he said suddenly.

"What now? Did you wet your pants?" she asked.

"No stupid! Look around!" It looks like we're in some kind of studio. The fog was super thick, though.

"Is this… a studio?" Chie said. "All this fog… or is it smoke? There's no place like this in Inaba, is there?"

"Hell no," Yosuke whispered. "But man… this place is huge!"

"What're we gonna do?" Chie asked worriedly.

"Let's try to find a way to go back home," I suggested nervously.

"G-good plan!" she said. "Look, we need to get home and-! Huh?

"Wait a minute… which way did we come from? I don't see a way in… or out!" I glanced around._ She's right!_

"What? That can't be right," Yosuke protested. "How could that be!?"

"I don't know! Don't ask me! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!"

"Okay, so how!?"

"Let's all calm down here for a sec," I interrupted.

"You're right," Yosuke muttered. "Okay… okay….

"Let's calm down and think about this. All right, so we need to find a way out."_ No duh,_ I thought.

"Is there really a way outta here?" Chie asked.

"We got in… so we must be able to get out somehow," Yosuke reasoned.

"He's right," I said.

"That's true, but…" she muttered.

"If there's no exit, we're trapped, so let's cross our fingers and look around," Yosuke suggested. We all agreed.

We walked down a path and found ourselves on this railing.

"What is this place?" Chie inquired. "It feels different from where we were before…."

"It looks like we're in some kinda building," Yosuke observed. "But, damn this fog's so thick, I can hardly see."

"Yeah…," I agreed.

"Are you sure we're not wandering farther away?" Chie asked.

"I can't be positive, but we've gotta trust our instinct a little," Yosuke said.

"I know…," Chie said.

"Looks like we've gotta continue forward," I said, walking towards a weird red vortex thingy in a doorway. We stepped through and found ourselves in a room of some sort. It had a bed in one corner.

"Is it me, or is the fog lighter here?" Yosuke asked.

"It's definitely lighter here…," I replied hesitantly. He took out his phone and flipped it open.

"No service. What a surprise," he said sarcastically.

"Can't you guys slow down a little? It's hard enough to see where you're going," Chie complained. She looked around. "Huh? What the…? It's a dead end! There's no exit!"

The walls were filled with posters with a woman on it. Her face was ripped out.

"It keeps getting creepier and creepier the further we go," Yosuke remarked.

"Yeah…," I agreed.

"Aargh! I can't hold it any longer!" he yelled, putting his hand over his… private area. "My bladder's gonna explode!" He ran off towards the far wall. I heard him unzip his pants. I turned away quickly.

"Yosuke!? What're you doing!?" Chie shouted.

"I gotta let it out before I piss my pants!" he replied.

"You're going here!? Oh you have got to be kidding…," she yelled.

"T-turn around! I can't go if everyone's watching!" he said. A few seconds passed. "I can't do it! It's all your fault if my bladder bursts!"

"Like I care," Chie replied. After a second, Yosuke turned back around.

"Anyways… what's with this room?" she muttered. "Check out these posters. Their faces are all cut out. Someone must really hate this person." Yosuke walked to a chair.

"Dude…. This chair and rope… that kind of arrangement is never good…," he commented. I studied it. There was chair with a red scarf tied in a noose hanging above it. Definitely not good.

"It's tied in a noose," he continued. "Is this a scarf?"

"I guess so," I replied.

"C'mon!" Chie interrupted. "Let's go back to where we came from and look somewhere else for an exit!" We all went to the door.

"Hey… I think I've seen that poster before," Yosuke remarked.

"Who _cares_!?" Chie cried. "Let's go! I'm sick of this place! And I'm not feeling so good…."

"Yeah," I said, "let's hurry."

"Now that you mention it, me too," Yosuke said. My body did feel heavy…. Could it be due to this place's oppressive atmosphere? Probably….

"Alright, let's go back. I'm seriously starting to feel sick," he said. I nodded and we went out.

We made it back to where we started.

"Whew… we finally made it back here," Chie sighed. "Wait… what's that!?"

"Th-there's something over there!" Yosuke said. I saw a silhouette of a… thing. It walked closer to us. Its feet made tiny squeaking noises.

"What is this thing?" Chie asked. "A monkey? A bear?"

"What in the world?" Yosuke said.

"Th-that's what I wanna know!" the bear asked. "Who are you guys?" Chie gasped.

"It talked!" she said. I stepped back cautiously. It could be dangerous.

The bear wore a red-and-white striped suit, with red button things down the middle. His neck area had a zipper thing. His…. "hair" was blue. It had huge brown eyes, an upside down triangle nose, and a thin smile, but he talked, the mouth opened.

"W-what are you!?" Chie demanded. "Y-you wanna fight!?"

"D-don't yell at me like that," the bear pleaded, cowering.

"What is this place?" I asked as nicely as I could.

"This place is what it is. It doesn't have a name," it replied. "It's where I live."

"You… live here?" Yosuke asked uncertainly.

"If I was you guys, I'd hurry back to the other side," the bear warned. "Someone's been throwing people in here. It's a big headache."

"Huh? Throwing people in?" Yosuke asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I dunno who's doing it!" the bear shouted angrily. "I just want them to think before they go doing things like that!"

"Hey, what's your problem!?" Chie yelled. "What gives you the right to yell at us like that!? What are you!? Where are we!? What the heck is going on here!?" The bear ran and hid behind me. I wanted to push him away.

"I already told you," the bear said. "Anyways, you should hurry back."

"What it comes down to is: you want us to get outta here, right?" Yosuke asked, sounding angry. "Well so do we! We just don't know how, dammit!"

"That's why I'm saying I'll let you out!" the bear yelled._ What!? REALLY!?_

"Like I keep saying, we don't know where the frickin' exi—" Yosuke began. "Wait… what?" The bear tapped his foot on the floor two times. A few seconds later, three small T.V.'s stacked on top of each other came out of nowhere

"What the hell!?" Yosuke yelled.

"Wh-where did those T.V.'s come from!?" Chie asked. We walked in front of them.

"Okay, now go, go; get outta here! I'm a busy bear!" the bear said. Then he proceeded to push us all into the tiny T.V.'s.

"Hey!" I yelled.

"What's going on now!? Whoa! Hey, what're you doing!?" Chie yelled.

"Stop pushing!" Yosuke yelled. I felt a sensation and saw that white-and-black square thingy again.

We fell out painfully.

"Huh? Is this…?" Chie began

"Did we… make it back?" Yosuke asked. We all stood up.

"Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor," a woman announced over the speaker. She continued to announce stuff about it.

"It's already that late?" Yosuke muttered.

"Looks like we were in there for quite a while," Chie said.

"That's right," he muttered. "Now I remember where I saw that poster before!" He pointed towards a poster. "Look over there! That's the poster we saw!"

"What's up now?" she asked. She turned around. "Hey, you're right! They're the same. I couldn't tell before without the face, but it was Misuzu Hiiragi…. She's been all over the news lately. Something about her husband having an affair with that announcer lady who died the other day."

"Yeah," I said, nodding. I looked at the picture again.

"Hey, so does that mean…," Yosuke began. "That weird room we saw…. Could it be related to that Yamano lady's death? Now that I think about it… there was that creepy noose hanging from the ceiling." He cried out. "Stop! No more! We gotta stop talking about this! I'm gonna wipe what happened today from my brain. I don't think my poor heart can take anymore" Chie looked down.

"I'm feeling a chill, too," she muttered. "Let's go home. I wanna lie down and rest." I nodded in agreement and we all went home.

**(Evening)**

"Hey, welcome home," Dojima greeted. It seems Nanako and him were going to eat some instant ramen.

"Hey," I said and plopped down in my seat at the table in front of the T.V. I still felt sluggish from this afternoon.

"Umm… well, I doubt you'd know," Dojima started. "But have you heard anything about a student named Saki Konishi?"

"Uh…," I muttered. "I know she that isn't at school today."

"Oh… I see…," he murmured. He sighed. "To be honest… we got a call from her family. She's disappeared." My eyes widened.

"What?" I asked.

"We've got people looking for her, but she hasn't been found yet," he continued. He sighed again. "Work just keeps piling up…."

The news announcer talked about the murders again. Mayumi Yamano had stayed at the Amagi Inn._ The Amagi Inn…_ I rubbed my chin, trying to remember where that was. I gasped. _Yukiko Amagi's family runs that inn!_

The news continued. The commentator talked about the inn. It was rumored that Yukiko's going to take over the inn this spring.

The news moved on to the weather. It's going to be foggy.

"Is the ramen ready now?" Nanako asked.

"Give it some more time," Dojima answered. I sneezed. I felt a slight chill.

"Are you sick?" Dojima asked worriedly. "You're probably adjusting to the new environment. Nanako, could you get her some cold medicine?" She nodded and went to get it. "You should get to bed after you take it," Dojima told me. I nodded.

I took my medicine and went to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The prologue/intro of Persona 4 Golden is REALLY long... -_- Welp. In chapter... 7 or so is when things start to speed up. And please critique my writing!**


	6. A Promise to a Bear

**Friday, 4/15 (Early Morning)**

"Ah, you're up," Dojima said. "Well, I'm off." He left the house.

"Why is he leaving so early?" I asked.

"Dad has to go do something," Nanako explained. "He got a call, so he left." She looked worried.

I heard some girls gossiping as I walked to school.

"… Police cars zooming by," the red-umbrella-holding girl.

"You live by the police station, don't you?" her friend asked. "Did you hear anything?" They continued gossiping. I heard sirens nearby._ Did something happen?_ I quickly headed to school.

**(Afternoon)**

People were gossiping all around me. Chie put her phone into her pocket. We were in the auditorium.

"Yukiko said she'd be here after lunch," Chie muttered. "I wonder why they're holding a school assembly all of a sudden." I shrugged. We both looked at Yosuke.

"Hey, what's wrong Yosuke?" she asked worriedly.

"Oh, it's nothing," he replied. I could tell from the tone of his voice that it was_ not_ nothing.

"…. is about to begin," Ms. Sofue said. "First, the principal has something to say." The principal walked behind the podium.

"I… regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you," he said. "One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3… has passed away."

"What!?" I whispered loudly.

"'Passed away'!?" Chie repeated, eyes wide. Yosuke looked shocked.

"Ms. Konishi was found deceased early this morning," the principal continued. "The reasons behind her passing are currently under investigation by the police. If they ask you for cooperation, I urge you, as students of this school, to provide only the facts." The students around started talking before the principal shushed us.

"I have been assured by the faculty that there's been no evidence that bullying was involved in the incident," he continued. "So mind what you say, not only to the police, but to anyone who asks…."

"'Found dead'…? How could this happen?" Chie muttered. We looked at Yosuke. He looked sad and confused. The principal kept talking.

Chie and I were walking back to our classroom when we heard to girls talking. I could only hear part of the conversation.

"She died the same was as that announcer, right? That's so creepy…," the girl with brown hair said.

"… was hanging from a telephone pole," her friend said. "… murder case."

"… unknown poison," the first girl said.

"C'mon… sci-fi drama," her friend said. "… did you hear?... Saki… Midnight Channel…. In pain…."

"… nightmare," the first girl laughed. "… broadcasting… interviews… Saki on the brain." They walked away talking. Chie sighed.

"It's easy to toss around theories if you're not personally involved," she muttered.

"Hey," Yosuke said quietly as he walked up to us. "Did you guys check out the T.V. last night?"

"Yosuke? Not you too!" Chie yelled.

"Just listen for a sec!" he shouted back angrily. "Something kept bothering me, so I watched it again and… I think the girl on the screen was Saki-senpai."_ He's right!_ "There's no mistaking it," he continued. "Senpai looked like she was writhing in pain. And then she disappeared from the screen."

"What?" Chie asked.

"You heard Senpai's body was found in a similar situation as that announcer's, right?" Yosuke inquired. "Well, remember that guy you told us about? How he was all excited that his soulmate was the announcer?

"Maybe…. Just maybe, but—Ms. Yamano might've been on that Midnight Channel before she died, too," he concluded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chie asked. Her eyes widened in understanding. "Hold on… are you saying…? People who appear on the T.V… die?"

"I can't say for sure," he replied. "But something tells me… I can't just dismiss it as coincidence." Chie gasped.

"Plus, remember what that bear thing said? How that place was dangerous, and we should leave before the fog clears…? It also said that someone's been throwing people in there. And that room with the posters on the wall… it has to have something to do with the announcer's death. I mean… don't you think there's some kind of connection there? Couldn't that world in the T.V. have something to do with Senpai's and the announcer's death!?" He turned to me. "Well? What do you think?' he asked. I looked down, rubbing my chin.

"It's possible…," I muttered.

"So it's not just me, huh?" he said. "If there is a connection, then it's a good bet that that the two of them went inside that world. That would explain the posters in that room. Which means, if we look around, we might find a place that has something to do with Senpai, too."

"Yosuke, don't tell me," Chie began.

"Yeah… I'm thinking about going in again," he replied. "I want to find out for myself." I could see the determination in his eyes. I also saw something else there that I couldn't name.

"Don't do this!" Chie protested. "You should just let the police handle this and—"

"You think we can rely on the police!?" Yosuke shouted. "They haven't made any progress on the announcer's case. Besides, even if we told them about the world inside the T.V., there's no way they're gonna believe us! If I'm completely off-base with this, that's fine. It's just… I need to know why Senpai had to die like this."

"Yosuke…," she muttered.

"After what I've seen and what I've put together, there's no way I can ignore it now," he said. He turned to me apologetically. "Sorry, Misaki-chan… but you're the only person who can help me," he said. "I'm gonna go get ready. I'll be waiting for you at Junes." He ran off.

"I kinda understand how he feels," Chie said. "But we can't be sure we'll be able to get out safely again. What should we do…?" I hesitated. It doesn't look like he'll stop what he's doing, no matter how much we try.

"I'll go with him," I answered.

"Y-you serious!?" Chie exclaimed.

"It's not like we can stop him," I replied, rubbing my head.

"I guess... Anyways, let's go to Junes. We can't leave Yosuke alone…." We ran off to Junes.

"You guys came!" Yosuke greeted us happily. He had a golf club in one hand and a rope tied around his waist in the other.

"We came to stop you, idiot!" Chie yelled.

"Well, _she_ came to stop you," I interrupted. "I came to go in with you." Chie glared at me. I gave her a small smile and a shrug.

"C'mon… you really shouldn't do this!" she protested. "It's too dangerous!"

"I know," Yosuke replied. "But we were able to come back once, right? If we go in from the same location, maybe we'll meet that bear again." Chie stomped her foot.

"'Maybe' isn't good enough," she said.

"Look, I can't just act like everyone else and pretend this has nothing to do with me," he said determinedly.

"That's true, but…," Chie muttered. Yosuke looked at me with strong determination in his eyes.

"What about you, Misaki-chan?" he asked. "Could you just run away?"

"Well—no, but I'm worried about Chie… and all of us…," I said. "There's no telling what might happen over there."

"Yeah, it'll be just you and me," he said. I sighed inwardly. He won't hesitate to bring _me_ in there, huh? Well… I guess it's because he needs my help to go in.

"Don't worry. I'm not going in without a plan. Chie, I'm leaving you in charge of this," he said, handing her the rope.

"Huh? What's that? A rope?" she asked._ NO,_ I thought sarcastically._ It's a snake._

"We'll go in with this tied to me, so I want you to hold on to this and wait here," he ordered.

"Wh-what?" Chie protested. "Then, this is a lifeline? C'mon wait a sec…."

"He, Misaki-chan. This is for you," he said, handing me the golf club. I took it and stared at it.

"Wait—you want me to fight!?" I asked nervously. _I'm no fighter! Why doesn't_ he_ hold a weapon!? Why can't_ he_ fight!?_

"And here," he said, handing me some stuff. I looked at the label. "Medicine."

"I thought it might be better than going in empty-handed," Yosuke said with a smile.

"Why am_ I _the one fighting?" I asked. He scratched his head.

"Uh…. Because it seems like you're… uh… a fighter?" he muttered awkwardly.

"Why can't you fight!?" I demanded. "_You're_ supposed to be the guy here!"

"I don't know how to fight!" he protested.

"Well neither do I!" I replied angrily. I looked at the golf club. I sighed._ I have to protect a_ boy_? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around…?_

"Alright… let's go," he sighed. "There's no use wasting any more time. Chie, whatever you do, don't let go of the rope!" we walked in as Chie protested.

I felt the familiar sensation as we fell through.

_Thud!_ Yosuke groaned. I felt something heavy on top of me. I opened my eyes to see Yosuke sitting on me. He glanced down and back. He blushed heavily.

"S-sorry!" he yelled as he quickly got off of me. I felt my face turn red.

"I-it's ok…," I muttered. We both stood up.

"Is this…?" he began. "Look, this is the same place as last time! So they are connected from place to place!"

"Yeah," I said.

"You guys!" a voice said. "Why'd you come back?" The weird bear walked up to us and glared.

"I get it! You're the ones behind this!" he accused (I've decided it was a male).

"You're that thing from last time!" Yosuke exclaimed. "Wait, what the hell did you just say!?" The bear turned around.

"Lately, I can tell someone's been throwing people in here," he explained. "It's making this world more and more messed up." He turned back around. "This is the second time you came here. And I don't think anyone forced you in," he continued. "That means you're the most suspicious! You guys must be the ones throwing the people in here! Raaaaawr!"

"C'mon, don't label us like that," I said.

"What're you talking about, 'throwing people in'!?" Yosuke demanded. "If someone was thrown in here and they couldn't get out, they might die! Who would do such a—" He paused. "Wait a sec…. All this talk about someone throwing people in here…. Does he mean Senpai and the announcer? Did that someone throw those two in here? Hey, what do you think?"

"That must be it," I answered.

"Yeah, I agree," he said. "Let's assume he's telling the truth. Could it be that someone's throwing people in here, intending to kill them? If that's the case…."

"What are you guys mumbling about?" the bear asked, stomping his feet. "Why'd you guys come here, anyways!? It's a one-way door! You can't get out once you're in! Remember how_ I_ had to let you guys out?"

"Yeah, whatever," Yosuke said. "We don't need your help this time! See, this time we have a lifeli—" He stared at the rope. "Whaaaat!?" It was cut! He quickly turned to the bear. "You better let us out once we're done investigating here!" The bear growled.

"I'm the one who wants to investigate!" he yelled. "I've lived here for a looong time. But it's never been noisy like this till now. Do you have proof!? Prooove to me that you're not throwing people in here!"

"I don't think it works that way," I replied calmly. He glared at me.

"See? So it is you guys!" he accused.

"For the last time, it's not us, so we've got nothing to prove to you!" Yosuke yelled, fed up. "Hey, you better answer our questions. This isn't like last time when we came by accident. We're dead serious!

"Listen up, 'cause people have died in our world. Every time the fog appears a dead body shows up with it. It has to be related to this place somehow! If you know something, tell us!"

"A dead body?" the bear inquired. "Whenever the fog appears? I know that if it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. It's really dangerous when the fog lifts. That's when the Shadows get violent!" _"Shadows"? _His face lit up. "Aaah... I get it…."

"If you get it, then explain it to us, dammit!" Yosuke yelled. "If it's foggy on our side, it isn't in here? 'Shadows' get violent?"

"That's why I said to hurry back! It's dangerous when that happens!" the bear warned. "Okay, no more questions! I know you guys did it! You better stop right now!"

"I've told you and told you, we're not the ones doing it!" Yosuke yelled. "I've about had it with you! Why the hell won't you listen to what we're saying!?"

"Seriously!" I shouted, glaring at the bear. He backed up a bit.

"I-I'm just saying… you might be the culprits," the bear said weakly. "I'm just making sure."

"What? Man, this bear's driving me nuts!" Yosuke muttered.

"You can say that again…," I muttered.

"What is this placed, anyways?" he asked. "It looks like a T.V. studio. Is something being filmed here? Hey, don't tell me…. Is that weird show being filmed here?"

"'Weird show'? 'Filmed'? What does that mean?" the bear asked.

"I'm asking if someone's been filming the people that get thrown in here," Yosuke repeated. The bear still looked confused.

"I don't get it," he said. "This world has always been like this. No one has ever done that filming thing here."

"'Always been like this'?" I repeated.

"Only me and Shadows are here!" the bear said. "I told you before!"

"We don't know what these Shadow things! Or what you are either, for that matter!" Yosuke replied. "You keep telling us to prove our innocence, but you're the most suspicious thing, here! Maybe you're the real culprit! And what's with that stupid costume? I'd say it's time you showed your face!" Yosuke walked over and grabbed the bear's head and pulled. It popped off, showing nothing but air and darkness inside. Yosuke jumped back. I was so surprised and shocked that I nearly dropped my golf club.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "What the hell are you!? I-it's empty inside…." The bear moved around, waving its hands near the floor, and found its head. He plopped it back on. I stared at the bear with wide eyes. I didn't know what to say.

"Me…? The culprit? I wouldn't do such a thing," he said weakly. "I just live here. I just wanna live here peacefully. Okay. I'll believe that you guys aren't the culprits. But I want you to find the real guy who did all of this. You have to stop him. Promise me, or else… I'm not gonna let you guys out of here."

"What!?" I squeaked.

"You little—" Yosuke shouted.

"This can't keep going on!" the bear protested sadly. "My home here will be a complete mess! And then… and then… I…." He started to cry. Loudly.

"What're you crying for all of a sudden?" Yosuke demanded. "Geez, this thing's really weirding me out…." I sighed, thinking about it.

This bear's asking us to find the culprit behind all of this. Someone in the real world's throwing people in here. This bear here's asking us to find him. And he seems really serious about this.

Yosuke sighed.

"What should we do?" Yosuke asked.

_It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed on you…,_ Igor's voice rang in my head.

_ Is this the mystery? And what's that… "contract" he spoke of? Could solving the case be part of this?_ I sighed._ It's not like I can leave this hellhole without promising this weird-ass bear._

"You're the only ones I can ask," the bear said. "Will you promise me?"

"Yeah, I promise," I answered, nodding.

"Thank you!" the bear yelled happily, hugging me.

"U-uh...," I muttered.

"Damn bear," Yosuke muttered. "Practically holding a gun to our heads. But it's true that we came here to figure things out. So far, we're completely in the dark.

"Look for the culprit, huh? Bring it on! You got my word, too!" he yelled. "Might as well introduce ourselves. I'm Yosuke Hanamura, and this is my…." He glanced at me. "My... uh… friend Misaki Ishida. You got a name?"

"Teddie," the bear replied. Yosuke groaned.

"Figures," he said curtly. "But how are we supposed to find the culprit in the first place?"

"I dunno," Teddie replied. I sighed. "But I know where the last person came in."

"'The last person…?'" Yosuke repeated. "You mean Saki-senpai!?"

"I mean the person who came in and disappeared last time," the bear replied. "I don't know the name. I'll take you there. You might find clues. Oh, one thing first. You two should put these on."

He gave us glasses. My glasses were square-ish and grey. There were rainbow colors on the side. Yosuke's was orange and more square-ish than mine. His, too, had rainbow colors on the side. We put them on.

"Whoa!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"It's like the fog doesn't exist!" I yelled.

"The difference is like night and day," he said.

"They'll help you walk through the fog," Teddie explained. "Well I've been here for a long time, so you can rely on me! Uh… but I can only show you where the place is. You guys will have to defend yourselves."

"What happened to relying on you!?" Yosuke demanded nervously. "Th-there better not be any monsters, you understand!? We brought weapons, but I mean…. They're more for show.

"We just got here! If it's so dangerous, why don't you do something instead of relying on us!?" Yosuke demanded. Teddie waved his hand in front of him

"Uh uh," he said. "No way. I've got no muscles. Oh! Oh! I'll give you guys moral support from a safe distance!" I sighed. He reminded me of a friend I had in my old school…. "How's that sound?" he asked._ Can he seriously not fight?_ I walked over and gave him a small shove. He fell on his back.

"N-nooooooo…," he cried out weakly.

"I-is this thing for real!?" Yosuke demanded.

"Seriously…," I muttered. Yep, definitely like my friend.

"Ugh, this is so lame…," Yosuke muttered. "We swore to find the culprit, and this is all the backup we get?"

"I guess…," I sighed.

"Oh yeah," Teddie said. "Can I ask you something? Who's this Saki-senpai person? Someone you know?" Yosuke made a sound.

"That doesn't matter right now," he replied tightly. "Anyways, at least now we know Senpai might have been thrown in here. Maybe we can find more information, too. Let's get moving, Misaki-chan." We turned around and started walking when Teddie cried out. I turned around and helped him up. I groaned._ What a GREAT backup..._ I thought.


	7. Yosuke's Shadow

"What is this place?" Yosuke asked after we had walked for a few minutes. "It looks just like the shopping district…. What's going on here!?"

"Some weird places have appeared here recently," Teddie explained. "Things are getting so tangled, I don't know what to do!"

"Uh by the way," Yosuke said, turning around. "Why are you standing so far from us? You better not be planning to high-tail it if something does come up."

"Of course not!" Teddie assured us unsuccessfully. "I mean, uh, I can't stand too close, you know. I'd get in your way." Yosuke sighed and looked around.

"Man, they really went all out on this," he remarked. "But out of all the places in town, why'd they replicate this one?"

"How should I know? This is reality for the one who's here," Teddie said. Yosuke sighed again.

"As usual, nothing you say makes any sense," he replied. "But if this our shopping district, we're not far from Saki-senpai's…." He turned around and ran up towards the north shopping district. Teddie and I ran after him. I glanced up at the sky. It was red, with black… stripe thingies that moved away from… the center of the sky or something.

"I knew it!" Yosuke exclaimed. "This is the liquor store that Senpai's parents run. Does this mean Senpai disappeared here? What could've happened?" He started to walk through the red and black swirly door portal we saw back at that weird room.

"W-wait a second! Th-they're here!" Teddie warned nervously.

"What?" Yosuke replied.

"Shadows. I had a feeling they were going to attack…!" Teddie muttered.

Some weird black blobs formed at the portal door. They had masks on them. Yosuke yelled and fell back. They stretched up and formed a sphere. The spheres turned pink with black stripes on them. They turned around, revealing huge mouths with black tongues sticking out. The monsters rushed towards us at break-neck speed. I raised my fists to my face, expecting impact.

**I am thou. Thou art I.**

My head throbbed. It was the same voice that called to me the time I put my hand into the T.V. for the first time.

**The time has come.**

I felt something in my hand. I put it in front of me and opened it. There was a blue card. It had a weird face/mask on it.

**Open thine eyes and call forth what is within!**

I flipped it over and it shined with piercing blue light. I smiled, feeling the rush of power through my veins.

"Per—" I whispered. "So—Na…."

The card went up in blue flames. I closed my hand over it, crushing the card. My insides burned. I screamed, throwing my head back. Blue flames surrounded me, jumping higher and higher. I felt a presence behind me for a second before it disappeared.

I stepped toward the monsters, brandishing the golf club.

"Stay calm and listen," Teddie called. "Some shadows have weaknesses. If you can pinpoint that weakness and take advantage of it, the battle will be a lot easier! I can tell this one has a weakness too! Try stuff out and see what works!"

I jumped back and summoned my Persona. The blue card surrounded by blue fire appeared in front of me. I brought my hand up and crushed it in my hand. The Persona appeared in front of me. It wore a black overcoat. Its legs were black and its feet were knives. Two white laces crossed the back in an X shape. Its head had a white lace thing that trailed behind it. It had a visor-thing on, its golden eyes showing through it. It was holding a long sword.

"Izanagi!" I yelled as the Persona used lightning on one of the monsters. The monster fell down.

"I'll keep track of what attacks have what effects on enemies!" Teddie yelled. I jumped back again as Izanagi used lightning on the other one. It, too, fell down. I ran towards the first one, slashing down with my golf club. It disappeared in a puff of black smoke. The other one got up and attacked me. I dodged it and countered. It went up in a puff of smoke, much like the other one I defeated.

There was something on the floor. I picked it up. "Soul Drop." Huh._ I wonder what that's for…._ Yosuke ran up to me.

"Whoa… wh-what was that!?" he asked, looking shocked. "Did I hear you say 'Persona'!? What was it— I mean—what did you do!?"

"I dunno," I replied, shrugging. The rush of energy had subsided. I leaned against the side of the building.

"Hey, you think I can do it, too?" Yosuke asked, excited.

"Uh…," I muttered.

"Calm down, Yosuke!" Teddie ordered. "You're troubling Sensei!"

"'Sensei'?" I asked. "Who's Sensei?"

"You, of course!" Teddie replied happily. "Gosh almighty! You're amazing, Sensei! I am one impressed bear! I can't believe you were hiding such an amazing power! No wonder the Shadows were scared of you!" He gasped. "Are you the one who's able to bring people into this world?"

"I-I guess," I replied.

"That's what I thought!" he exclaimed. This is really something! Don't you think so, Yosuke?"

"Dude, you call her 'Sensei' and then don't show me any respect!?" Yosuke demanded, shoving Teddie. He got back up and muttered, "Sorry…."

"W-well your support wasn't bad though," Yosuke praised. "I gotta give you some credit for that!"

"Huh? R-really?" Teddie asked. He chuckled nervously.

"All right, two keep it up, and I think we'll be fine from here on out," Yosuke said.

"Yeah… depend on the girl…," I sighed.

"W-well you have that awesome power!" Yosuke protested. I sighed again.

"Whatever, whatever," I said. "Let's get going…." We walked towards the portal-door.

Suddenly, voices began to echo from somewhere.

"I wish Junes would go under," a woman sighed.

"It's all because of that store!" another woman said.

"Wh-what the!?" Yosuke said. The voices kept talking. They talked trash about Saki Konishi and Junes.

"S-stop it…," Yosuke mumbled. The voiced continued talking. "Hey… hey Ted!" Yosuke called. "You said that this place is reality for those that are here, right!? So… does that mean this was Senpai's reality when she wandered in here?"

"I… only know about what's over here," Teddie replied uncertainly.

"Fine!" Yosuke said. We turned to the doorway. "Whatever's going on here…. We'll found out ourselves!" We ran in.

It was dark inside. There was liquor everywhere. Well… I guess that makes sense, since this was a liquor store. We heard the voices again.

"Dammit, not again," Yosuke muttered. A man was yelling at someone.

"Saki, how many times do I have to tell you!?" he demanded.

"I-is this… Senpai's dad?" Yosuke asked quietly. The dad yelled at her, saying she's a shame to the family.

"I can't believe this…," Yosuke muttered. "She seemed like she had fun at work. She never said anything like this to me…. You're telling me_ this_ was how Senpai saw things!?" He ran over to the counter. The voices stopped.

"These photos…," Yosuke muttered. "Hey, is this…?" He picked up a photograph. "It's the photo we took the other day with the other part-times at Junes…. Why's it cut up like this?" I glanced at the picture he was holding. The scrap of the photo showed Saki Konishi smiling. Yosuke was standing next to her. I glanced at him. His face was contorted with pain.

"I… never had the chance to say it…," Saki's voice echoed. Yosuke looked up.

"Is that… Senpai's voice?" he asked.

"I always wanted to tell Hana-chan," she continued, "that he was a real pain in the ass! I was nice to him just because he was the store manager's son, that's all! But he takes it completely the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic. What a dip."

"'Pain in the ass'?" Yosuke repeated, his eyes widening.

"Who cares about Junes, anyway?" Saki asked. "Because of that store, our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back…. I wish everything would just disappear."

"It's a lie…. This can't be…," Yosuke mumbled. "Senpai's not like that!"

"It's," a voice like Yosuke's said. It had a… "deeper undertone"? It sniffed. "so sad…," it continued. "I feel so sorry for myself. Boo hoo." We turned around quickly. Another Yosuke was standing there. His eyes were golden and he had a dark blue… aura surrounding him. "Actually," he continued, "I'm the one who thinks everything is the pain in the ass!" He laughed evilly. Teddie ran over.

"Two Yosukes?" he asked. Yosuke ran up to his imposter.

"Who are you!?" Yosuke demanded. "I-I wouldn't think that…." he muttered uncertainly. The other Yosuke laughed.

"Yeah, right. How long are you going to keep deluding yourself?" he asked with a smirk on his face. "Screw the shopping district, and Junes too! You're sick of everything, expecially living out in the sticks!"

"What're you saying? Th-that's not true… I—" Yosuke muttered.

"You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky 'cause you're so terrified of being alone," the other Yosuke sneered. "The more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation. And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake? Hah! I know the_ real_ reason you came snooping…."

"S-stop it!" Yosuke protested. The other Yosuke laughed.

"Why so panicked? I thought just spouting bulls***! Or maybe… I_ do_ know everything you're thinking! Why's that? Because…. I AM you! You just came because you thought it sounded like a good time! What else is there to do out in this s***hole?

"A world inside the T.V.—now that's exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you!?" My eyes widened. That's what the undetectable look in his eyes were before we went into the T.V.!_ Joy!_

"That's not true…," Yosuke protested, shaking his head. "Stop… stop it!"

"You're just trying to act like a big shot," the other Yosuke said. "If all went well—hey!—you could even be a hero! And that Senpai you were so sweet on? Her death was the perfect excuse!"

"That's not true!" Yosuke yelled after a moment's hesitation. "What are you!? Who are you!?" The other Yosuke chuckled.

"I already told ya," he said. "I'm you… your Shadow…. There's nothing I don't know about you!"

"Screw that! I don't know you!" Yosuke shouted. "You can't be me, you son of a b****!" The other Yosuke laughed.

"That's right!" he yelled. "Say it again!"

"You're not me…," Yosuke said quietly. "You're nothing like me!" I got ready to fight. I felt something like blood lust come from him.

"Yeah that's right," Shadow Yosuke smirked. "I am_ me_ now! I'm not you anymore, see?" Yosuke backed away. Blinding white light came off of him. Black tendrils surrounded the Shadow. They dissipated, revealing a huge… thing. The bottom half of it was this… frog-like creature. Its feet where huge hand things. The top half was this black guy connected to the frog thing. Its waving is arm back and forth. Its hands where huge and yellow. Around its neck was a red scarf. Its eyes were covered with shuriken thingies. The walls around us fell, leaving lots of empty space for us to fight.

I glanced at Yosuke as he fell down. I had no time to worry about him now.

"I am a Shadow… the_ true_ self…," he said. "I'll crush everything that bores me…. Starting with you, girl!"

He shot a gust of wind at me, knocking me down.

"How long can you survive this?" he asked, laughing.

"This one's much stronger than the last type! Be careful! Whenever you feel threatened just defend yourself!" Teddie yelled. I got up. I summoned Izanagi and used Zio (the electricity spell) again and again. He got up after being knocked down and swung at me. I flew back and skidded across the ground. I slowly got up. The Shadow didn't make a move yet. Instead, he laughed. I gritted my teeth. I won't let him toy with me!

I ran up to him and slashed with my golf club. I rolled underneath him, feeling my skirt lifting and revealing my…. Yeah._ Oh how I hate skirts…._ I ran behind the Shadow.

"Izanagi!" I yelled. My Persona appeared and swung his sword at the Shadow, cutting open a huge gash. Shadow Yosuke staggered and used a wind spell, knocking me off my feet._ Crap!_ He loomed over me, laughing. I painfully rolled out of the way, using Zio. The lightning struck him and he fell down. Quickly, I ran over and slashed at him again and again. He swatted me, sending me back a couple of feet. The Shadow got up and used the wind spell again. I got up and dodged out of the way. I turned back to him and used Zio over and over again.

He finally fell down, releasing a huge puff of smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing a guy in the middle. I staggered over to Yosuke, who was finally waking up.

"I…I…," he muttered as I painfully helped him up.

"Yosuke, are you okay!?" Teddie asked, running up to us.

"Y-yeah… what happened?" Yosuke asked. He looked at me and his eyes widened. "M-Misaki-chan…." I guess I look all beat up.

"I-I'm fine," I replied, trying to smile. I gestured to the Shadow, who was standing now. Yosuke glared at it.

"You… you're not me," he muttered.

"That thing came from you, Yosuke," Teddie explained quietly. "You have to admit it… or it'll go berserk again…." Yosuke glanced at me. I sighed. I can't take Shadow Yosuke on anymore…. I'll die if I do….

I glanced up at Yosuke. He seemed reluctant to accept it. I smiled at him.

"You're still yourself, you know," I said. He turned around.

"Myself…," he muttered. "Dammit… it hurts to face yourself…."

"It's alright," I said, giving him a smile. He walked up to his Shadow.

"I knew he wasn't lying," Yosuke admitted. "But I was so ashamed that I didn't want to admit it. You're me and I'm you. When you get down to it, all of this is me." Shadow Yosuke nodded slowly. He turned into a creature floating high in the air. It was Yosuke's Persona. I don't know how I knew. I just knew it.

His Persona was white. In its hands were shurikens. It had Mickey Mouse ears at the top of its head. Its eyes were covered with shurikens and at its neck was a huge check golden boomerang thing.

"This… is my Persona," Yosuke muttered. He turned around and squatted. I felt like falling down to my knees….

"When we hear Senpai's voice," he said. "I wonder if that was something Senpai had been keeping deep down inside." He chuckled. "'He was a real pain in the ass,' huh? What a way to find out…. Geez this is so embarrassing….

"If you weren't here, I don't know what woulda happened… thanks, Misaki," he said.

I held out my hand.

"It's gonna be okay," I said, smiling. "And don't worry. I won't tell anyone else about this." He took my hand and stood up.

"Thanks," he said, smiling. I saw his face turn red as he turned to the bear. "Hey, Teddie. Could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here? Like how it just happened to me?"

"I think so," Teddie answered. "The Shadows here were originally born from humans. Sometimes the fog clears. Then they all go berserk. And you saw what happens next. A strong-willed Shadow draws others to it. And the big mass of Shadows kills the host."

"So that's why people die when it gets foggy in our world…." Yosuke concluded. He sighed heavily.

"Yosuke's pretty worn out," Teddie remarked.

"Yeah," I muttered.

"This world isn't made for humans. It's not comfortable for you here," he said. "I don't hear anymore voices. I think we're done with this place. Let's go back." I nodded. I walked closer to Yosuke and slung his arm over my neck.

"Wh-what!?" he exclaimed. I put my arm over his neck.

"We'll support each other," I muttered, walking towards the door.

"H-hey!" Yosuke yelled, taking his arm back. "Wh-why are you doing this?"

"Because we're both tired," I answered wearily, swaying on my feet. I leaned against the wall. Yosuke sighed and put my arm over his shoulder.

"You're pretty worn out, huh?" he chuckled. We made our way back and Teddie snickered. I ignored him, but Yosuke seemed pretty bothered by it.

We finally made it back! Woo! I sighed.

"Hey, Teddie," Yosuke said. "You said that this place is reality for people who enter, right? So that shopping district, and the weird room we saw before… did they exist because the ones who died entered this world, and it became their reality? I guess what I'm trying to ask is…. Did those places form because of the people who entered this world?"

"I don't know," Teddie replied. "It's never happened before. But that's probably where they were when the Shadows attacked them."

"So it was the same for them?" I asked.

"The fog does lift here sometimes," he answered. "The Shadows get really violent then. I always get so scared. I have to hide when it happens. I sensed people here twice before. But both of them disappeared after the fog lifted."

Yosuke summed up the situation.

"So if I'd been here until the fog cleared, I woulda been in much deeper trouble?" he asked.

"I guess," I said.

"You were lucky," Teddie said. "Sensei and me were here with you…."

"Dammit!" Yosuke shouted. "Senpai and that announcer…. They were stuck here all alone…. No one could save them…."

"Yosuke…," I muttered.

"They disappeared when the fog lifted," Teddie explained. "But they were safe before that. No Shadows attacked them. They attacked us, though…. Maybe they're keeping a close eye on us. They might see people who investigate this place as enemies. It'll be dangerous, but we might be able to fight them! We might save people!"

"Are you saying, if anyone else gets thrown in here, we can save them before they disappear!?" Yosuke inquired excitedly. "Like how you guys just saved me!?"

"Hell yeah!" I shouted, throwing my fist into the air.

"Anyways… we need to catch the one who's throwing people in here and make him stop. Yeah…. I'm finally starting to understand what's going on."

"Umm… can I ask something too?" Teddie asked. "If Shadows are born from humans, what was Teddie born from?"

"I don't know, Teddie," I replied, shaking my head.

"I know some things… mostly about this world… but I don't know anything about myself," Teddie muttered. "To be honest, I never thought about it until now…."

"Are you serious?" Yosuke asked. "No wonder we couldn't get a straight answer out of you."

"Will you guys… come back here?" Teddie asked. I smiled.

"We made a promise, dude," I replied.

"You'll… keep your word?" he asked.

"Well, you're the one who said you weren't letting us out unless we so," Yosuke said.

"Oh! Th-that's right!" Teddie said. "But there's one thing. I'll be waiting for you guys here. You need to come in from the same place every time so we can meet up."

"'From the same place'?" I repeated.

"You could come in from somewhere else, but you won't end up here," Teddie explained. "You might show up somewhere I couldn't get to you. Then you'd be dooooomed. Got it!?"

"Well, pretty much," Yosuke answered. "Alright, can you show us the way out?"

"Roger that! One exit comin' right up!" Teddie announced. He summoned the T.V.'s again. We were pushed through by Teddie. Uncomfortably.

We fell out as Chie gasped and fell to her knees.

"Y-you guys came back!" Chie cried.

"Huh? Chie? Whoa what's with that face?" Yosuke asked. She looked like she had been crying. She stood up and threw what's left of the rope at Yosuke. He fell back.

"The nerve of you guys!" Chie yelled. "You are such morons! I can't believe this! You guys suck! The rope cut off! I had no idea what to do…. I was so worried…. I mean—scared stiff, dammit! I hate you both!"

"Sorry Chie!" I yelled as she ran away. I sighed.

"I… I think that mighta kinda sorta been our fault…," Yosuke mumbled. "Maybe we did go a little too far. Let's apologize to her tomorrow."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"I'm completely wiped out…. I'm gonna go home, soak in the shower for a while, and get some sleep," Yosuke sighed. "I think… I'm gonna sleep well tonight." I nodded. "Well, see ya in the morning!"

"See ya," I muttered. We both went home.

It was raining as I walked down the flood plain and saw Yukiko wearing a pink kimono. I went over to her and sat down on the bench.

"Oh…. Are you surprised to see me dressed this way? My parents sent me out on an errand," Yukiko explained. "Um… are you getting used to your new town and school?"

"Yeah," I replied. "It's pretty nice here."

"Really?" Yukiko asked. "But… it must be difficult, moving to a place you know nothing about. I've never been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school.

"Oh! Are you getting along with Chie? I mean, I always leave early, so… um…."

"We're getting along," I answered._ Kinda…_ I thought.

"I'm glad to hear that," Yukiko said. "Chie's very supportive, you know. It's always her who gives me the little extra push I need. We had homeroom together last year too. And I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes." She chuckled. "Oh… I should get going. I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. Our inn can't function without me right now." She stood up. "Um… I'll see you at school then."

"See ya," I said.

**(Evening)**

"Dad's late," Nanako sighed. I closed the door and sat down in front of her at the coffee table. The news was talking about Saki Konishi.

"Another incident…," Nanako muttered. "Dad won't be coming home tonight." I sighed. Sometimes I wonder if he even cares about his child.

"Don't worry," I said," I'll be here with you."

"I'll be okay," she replied. "Can you help me do some stuff around the house?"_ Man…, _I thought,_ she so reliable for her age…._

The news talked about the Amagi Inn now. They showed Yukiko on the screen, wearing a kimono. They interviewed her.

"This is boring," Nanako complained. She stood up. "I need to do the dishes." I got up and decided to help Nanako with the housework. After that, I went up to my room to watch the Midnight Channel.

The Midnight Channel showed a silhouette of a woman who's probably in a kimono. I couldn't tell who it was… but it might be Yukiko Amagi….

_ Hmm… What would happen if I touched the image on the Midnight Channel?_ So I stuck my hand in there, but nothing happened. The image disappeared. I took my hand out. I need to speak with Yosuke and Chie about this…. I went to bed.

I found myself sitting in the Velvet Room.

"Welcome," Igor greeted. "Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world. I have summoned you within your dreams."_ Oh god… what does he want now…?_ "And so we meet again."

"This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract may enter," Margaret said. "In your daily life, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken, and you chose to follow the destiny of your inner voice."_ My inner voice is a male's?_ "Thereby enacting your glorious awakening to your power."

"Hold on to this…," Igor said. He gave me a key with a small circle at the top of it. The circle was that mask thing I saw on the blue tarot card I summoned. "From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room. Your destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help.

"There is but one price for this assistance. You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make."

"I understand," I said.

"Very well," Igor said. "The Persona you have acquired… it is a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. Perhaps you can think of is as… a façade of determination you wear to face various difficulties in life. Your Persona ability, however, is that of the wild card. Compared to that of others, it is very special. It is the number zero… empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."

"'Empty'?" I repeated.

"The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart. And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities." I stared at him. Or rather, his long nose.

"'Control one's heart'?" I repeated.

"Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Persona," Margaret explained. "At times, they will help light the way to the truth you are searching for."

"Where will your awakened power of the wild card take you?" Igor inquired. "I look forward to traveling the road of your destiny together." He chuckled. I, for one, was_ not_ excited to travel on the road of my destiny with this creepy, long-nosed old man. "'Till we meet again…." Everything went black.


	8. Yukiko on the Midnight Channel

**Saturday, 4/11 (Early Morning)**

"Yo," Yosuke called, walking up to me with his bike. "You saw what was on last night, right?" he inquired. I nodded. "I couldn't tell who it was, but if someone's shown up on T.V., we can't ignore it. Let's go check it out after school. Maybe Teddie can tell us something." He looked down at his bike. "If it turns out someone was thrown in again, there really might be a culprit behind all of this. Even if it's something about that place that's killing the victims... If someone's using that world as a weapon, that's unforgivable." He looked at me, his eyes filled with determination. "We need to find the culprit, no matter what it takes!"

"What?" I asked, staring at Yosuke with wide eyes. I was not expecting to be part of a mystery murder case when I got here.

"There's no way the police can do it," he reasoned. "Who'd believe that the murderer kills people by throwing them into the T.V.?"

"Well…," I drawled. "We did promise the bear." I grinned widely. "So why not?" Yosuke laughed.

"Yeah! Besides, a promise is a promise," he said. "You know, I tried sticking my head in the T.V. last night, the way you did. And it actually worked!"

"Seriously?" I demanded.

"I think I can do that now because I have the same power," he said. "Persona, wasn't it? Could be that we got this gift from someone specifically so we could solve the case."

"Someone gave us this power so we could solve the case?" I repeated, looking at him quizzically. "I don't think they'd be_ that_ nice." Yosuke shrugged.

"Then again, you managed to go inside the T.V. and get your Persona first," he said. "I feel like, as long as you're with me..." He blushed. "Uh… I can find the culprit and crack the case," he continued. I laughed, switching my briefcase to my other hand, and slung my arm over his neck, like we're old buddies.

"Then let's do our best!" I laughed, half dragging him along.

"Ow, ow, ow...," he muttered.

Suddenly, Yosuke stopped. _What the...?_ I glanced around, only to see that everyone else had stopped moving as well._ What the hell!?_ Suddenly, an enlarged back of a Tarot card appeared in front of me. Everything went dark around me. It flipped over, to show a picture. There were black hands at the bottom of the card, holding black fire. The eyes were above the fire, staring into space. There was an infinity sign above that. At the very bottom was the Roman numeral: I. Then I heard a voice.

_Thou art I... and I am thou..._

_Thou has established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana._

The card vanished and turned into a blue flame, which trailed into my heart area. I felt a warm feeling.

Igor's voice echoed in my mind.

_The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart… and the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities,_ he said.

_"Social Links",_ I thought.

"You all right?" Yosuke asked. I glanced around. Everything came back to life again.

"Huh? I'm fine," I answered. I grinned as if nothing happened. "Let's get going!"

We arrived at the classroom. I sat in my seat.

"Chie!" Yosuke called. "About yesterday… we're sorry we worried you…." I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm sorry…."

"Never mind that," Chie said. "Is Yukiko still not here?"

"Y-Yukiko-san?" Yosuke repeated. "Uh… no…. At least, I haven't seen her today."

"Me neither," I said.

"Oh man, what should I do?" Chie groaned. "Hey, is that stuff you were talking about for real? You know… all about how people showing up on the Midnight Channel is related to that other world." The rain started to pound on the windows.

"We were just talking about that," Yosuke said. "We're thinking of checking it out later—"

"The person on T.V. yesterday…," Chie began. "I think it was Yukiko." Yosuke and I stared at her. "That kimono looked like the one she wears at the inn, and she wore it during that interview a few days too," she continued.

"Come to think of it…," I muttered, recalling the image I saw last night. "It probably_ was_ Yukiko-san…."

"I got worried, so I emailed her last night, but she hasn't responded," Chie said anxiously. "I called her earlier in the evening though, and she said she'd be at school today."

"Calm down," Yosuke said. "We get the picture. And you still haven't heard from her?"

"No," she replied, fidgeting. I pondered about whether or not I should tell her the info I had gained in the other world for Chie. After a moment's hesitation, I decided to do it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. "Wait—are you saying… Yukiko was thrown in there!?"

"We don't know yet for sure!" Yosuke yelled. "We should check to see if she's safe first. Give her another call," he ordered. Chie called Yukiko, then hung up.

"No good," she reported. "Her voicemail picked up. She's not answering!"

"Then is Yukiko-san inside that place?" Yosuke muttered.

"Uh… maybe she's busy helping out at the inn," I suggested nervously.

"Yeah, but would she skip school for that?" he asked.

"Maybe, if it's important," I replied, although he was probably not looking for an answer. Chie called the inn.

"C'mon, Yukiko… pick up…," she pleaded quietly. Her eyes widened. "Oh is this Yukiko!? Thank God, she's there!" Chie talked to Yukiko for a bit, her voice shaking slightly, and then hung up. "She was over at the inn," Chie explained. "She said they had a big group reservation and she had to help out. Yeah… now that I think about it, this has happened before, too. At least once a year. She said she'll be at the inn tomorrow, too." She glared at Yosuke and walked closer to him menacingly.

"I told you…," I said, relieved.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Yosuke!" Chie exclaimed. "You got me worried over nothing! She was totally fine!" She continued to yell at him. I tuned out for a bit.

"… reason we thought that," Yosuke said. I decided to pay attention now. "We thought people show up on the Midnight Channel because they're already over in that world. I mean, it makes sense, right? People show up on T.V. because they're inside the T.V…. But Yukiko-san's still here, in our world. We might wanna what this is about. Let's meet up at Junes after school." I nodded.

We arrived at Junes. I explained everything to Chie again, only this time with more detail. Yosuke sighed.

"Okay, I think that's more than enough about my sorry escapades," he interrupted.

"If I hadn't seen the place first hand… I'd never have believed a story like that," Chie said.

"Anyways, we need to know what's going on inside," Yosuke said. We all glanced around. There were a whole bunch of customers in the area.

"How? By talking to that Teddie guy?" Chie asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Too bad there's so many customers around… I forgot there's a sale in the electronics department today." His face lit up. "I got it! C'mere a sec." I walked closer to the T.V. "Try sticking your hand in and calling him over. I bet that bear's wandering around the entrance anyway. Hey Chie, stand over here. Make a wall with me."

"'A wall'?" Chie repeated, but she did as he said anyway. I put my hand into the T.V. and tried to beckon Teddie over. I cried out, stumbling back and pulling my hand out. Something bit me! I studied my hand. It had bite marks on it.

"What's wrong!?" cried Yosuke.

"Shhh! Not so loud, you idiot!" Chie hushed. "Dude, is that a bite mark!? Are you okay!?" I stared at my hand some more.

"I'm fine… I think," I answered.

"That's good," she said. "Sheesh! That stupid bear must've done it! Hey, you! We know you're in there!" The white ripple effect thing formed on the screen.

"Ooh ooh, is this a game?" Teddie asked. I sighed. He reminds me more and more of my old friend….

"No, it's not a game!" Yosuke hissed. "Can you sense anyone inside there right now?"

"Who's 'anyone'?" Teddie inquired. "I'm a lonely little bear like always. This land so… bear-ren." I chuckled. I could get used to him… maybe.

"Shut it!" Chie ordered quietly. "So there's no one inside? You're sure?"

"I-I'm not lying! My nose is running as good as ever!" he replied nervously.

"I'm gonna go warn Yukiko anyway," Chie decided. "Since she'll be busy this weekend helping out at the inn, I doubt she'd go anywhere alone, but still…."

"Yeah. Just in case," I agreed.

"You'll walk with her to school on Monday, right?" Yosuke asked.

"Sure. I'll go pick her up at her house," she said, nodding.

"Maybe we'll find out more on tonight's Midnight Channel," he said.

"Yeah," I said.

"Cross your fingers that this is all just a misunderstanding," he muttered.

"Yeah, but somehow I doubt that," I remarked. Yosuke glanced down, his face turning red.

"Wh-what's your cell number?" he asked, glancing at the floor. "I'll call you when I watch it tonight." I studied him. He doesn't seem like the type to blush when he's asking for a girl's number. He asked Yukiko out without a second thought and now he's acting like this in front of me?_ I'll worry about it later,_ I told myself quietly.

We exchanged cell numbers.

"Alright, don't forget to watch tonight," he said. I nodded. I hope this is all a huge coincidence or something… but I had a gut feeling that it wasn't. I sighed.

"Welcome back!" Nanako greeted as I closed the door behind me.

"Hey," I said. I went to the refrigerator and got a small snack before heading upstairs to my room.

I changed into my nightclothes and started to eat my snack. I watched the T.V. It turned on. The image was super clear.

"Good evening!" the girl on the screen greeted happily. She wore a lacy pink dress, kinda like a princess. "Tonight, Princess Yukiko has a big surprise!" I gaped at the screen. _What. The. Hell. Am I watching!?_ "I'm going to score myself a hot stud!" she continued. "Welcome to Not a Dream, Not a Hoax, Princess Yukiko's Hunt for Her Prince Charming!" She giggled. "And I came prepared!" The camera zoomed in on her dress. "I've got my lacy unmentionables on from top to bottom! I'm out to catch a whole harem and the best of the lot's gonna be all mine! Well… here I go!" She ran off into a huge castle. The sky was red with the stripy black things. The entrance to the inside of it was the red portal thing with the black circle things in it. The T.V. turned off._ That was_ definitely_ Yukiko,_ I thought, staring at the empty screen. My phone rang.

"Hey, did you see that!?" Yosuke yelled. "That was Yukiko-san for sure! It looked like her… I mean, she even said her name! But didn't the stuff she was saying sound weird?"

"Hell yeah…," I agreed.

"And she looked like she was on some low-budget T.V. show…. Was it like this before, too?" Yosuke continued. "What's going on?"

"Let's calm down for a sec," I said.

"Okay, okay," Yosuke said. "Um, um… we need to get in touch with Yukiko-san first! Uhh… crap, I don't know her number…. Oh yeah, I can just call Chie! Tomorrow's Sunday, so let's meet up at Junes first thing in the morning!"

"Yeah," I agreed. We hung up. I finished my snack and went to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woo! A short one! I just got this new game and... I'm playing it right now... which is why I'm not uploading as fast as before. Heh heh... sorry. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ^_^**


	9. Yukiko's Missing?

**Sunday, 4/17 (Early Morning)**

I stared at my choice of clothes, wondering what I should wear. I decided to go with my usual: a t-shirt and sweatpants. I put on a thin jacket and headed downstairs.

"Oh, good morning," Nanako greeted.

"'Morning," I said, stretching. "Where's your dad?"

"He left already. He said he's gonna be late," she explained, looking kinda sad.

"Oh…," I mumbled. If I leave, then Nanako's gonna be all alone in the house…. But I need to meet up with the others today.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked. "I'll be fine by myself." She turned on the television. "The sun's gonna come out. I should do some laundry." After a few seconds, she turned to me. "Uh… weren't you going somewhere?"

"Huh? Oh. Right," I stuttered, rubbing my neck. I went outside.

I glanced around the food court in Junes, trying to find a good seat. I finally decided to sit at the table near the center. Yosuke ran up to me a few minutes later, hands behind his back.

"Sorry for the holdup," he apologized, panting. "I found some stuff we can use in the closet at home." He held up two weapons. A nata and a katana, both of them sheathed. "Take a look at these!" he said with a wink.

"Uh… Yosuke…," I began, glancing around nervously.

"We've got our Personas, but a golf club's not that reliable of a weapon," he interrupted blithely.

"Uh Yosuke," I said, "I don't think you should be waving those around here…." He ignored me.

"So, which one strikes you fancy?" he asked, grinning widely. I studied the weapons.

"The katana," I finally answered. "But—"

"Ahh, you've got discerning taste," Yosuke praised, interrupting me again. "This is a Junes exclusive. The blade's fake though." I sighed in relief. "As for me… wait, maybe both would be good, too. Kinda like this?" He waved the swords around, making some odd kung-fu moves. "Or like this!?" He slashed the air with the swords. "What about this!?" He continued to wave the fake weapons around. I glanced around and spotted a police officer.

"Yosuke!" I warned. He stopped and looked at me, confused. I nodded towards the police officer.

"Two suspicious high-schoolers found, one male and one female. The male is armed with multiple weapons. Requesting immediate backup," the police officer said into his transceiver and ran over. I stood up, panicked.

"Huh? Oh crap, I mean—" Yosuke stammered.

"I didn't do anything!" I protested loudly, waving my arms in front of me.

"No…. no no no no, this isn't what it looks like!" Yosuke yelled. "We didn't steal it! I guess that's not what matters…. Anyways we're not doing anything bad!"

"I was just sitting here!" I explained. "I didn't do anything!"

"We're just two ordinary kids who like weapons and…. Ugh, that doesn't sound right either," he muttered. He chuckled nervously.

"Put the weapons down now!" the officer ordered. "We'll listen to your story at the station." I glared at Yosuke. "Hands where I can see them, too! I said now!" I hastily put my hands up. Yosuke did the same, waving them around.

"B-but this isn't—" he began.

"Are you resisting an officer of the law!?" the officer exclaimed. "Y-you're under arrest!"

"He was just showing you that they're fake!" I yelled. More police officers came up and surrounded us. I sighed._ Why does this have to happen to me…?_ They took us to the police station.

"You didn't seem the type to pull a stupid stunt like this," Dojima said. I sighed. We were in front of the negotiation room. "You know what's been going on around town. We got men stationed everywhere." I sighed again.

"For god's sake… you're lucky I was around, or this would have ended up on your permanent record," Dojima continued.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, looking at the floor. "It was mostly this guy's fault, though," I said, pointing to Yosuke.

"Oh c'mon!" he protested. "Well… I'm sorry, too." I groaned. We didn't have the weapons anymore. Two men walked past us.

"Wait, so the one that disappeared is the Amagi girl?" the plainclothes one asked._ What!?_

"Seems like it…," the police officer said. He said some other stuff, but I didn't pay attention. My eyes widened.

"Hey!" Yosuke whispered. "Did he say Amagi? Then… she really is…."

"No…," I muttered in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me, right?"

"Hm? Who's what now?" Dojima inquired, confused.

"Oh, uh, nothing," Yosuke replied hastily. We looked at each other.

"You're free to go," Dojima said. "But this better not happen again." We nodded and started to walk out. We bumped into that detective… Adachi, was that it?

"Pardon me," he muttered, looking up. "Huh? Aren't you that kid staying at Dojima-san's place?" I nodded.

"Oh! Uh, can we ask you something?" Yosuke asked. "It's about Yukiko Amagi of the Amagi Inn. Did something happen to her?"

"Oh, umm," Adachi said. "Am I allowed to say…? Well, if you're friends with Ms. Amagi… keep this between us, okay? We got a call from Ms. Amagi's parents yesterday evening saying they couldn't find her anywhere."_ What?_ "Since it was the weekend, the workers at the inn were extremely busy, and no one saw Ms. Amagi around that time. Oh, but that doesn't necessarily mean this is a case just yet! But, people've been turning up dead on foggy days, so we're really sensitive to stuff like this. By the way, did she say anything to you guys maybe going through some hard times?"

"Uh… hard times?" Yosuke inquired. Adachi started to talk again. I tuned him out. Man, he talks a lot…. Dojima called to Adachi angrily and he rushed to him. We glanced at each other and walked to the entrance.

"Hey… does that detective think that Yukiko-san—" Yosuke began. Chie ran up to us.

"There you are!" she yelled. "Sheesh, what're you guys doing!? I've been looking everywhere!"

"Well, there was a slight misunderstanding… we'll tell you about it later," Yosuke explained briefly.

"Yeah… a 'slight misunderstanding' that brought us to the police station," I muttered, glancing sideways at him.

"Anyways, something's up with Yukiko-san!" he yelled.

"Huh? You know already!?" Chie asked. "I kept calling her cell, but she didn't pick up! So I went to her house, and it turns out Yukiko really did disappear!"

"I guess we've got no choice but to go now," said Yosuke. "But that aside, the cops are saying some weird stuff. They think Yukiko-san's hiding to 'lay low'. Apparently Yukiko-san's mom collapsed because that announcer lady b****ed her out. They think that gives her a motive. And the fact that the announcer died right after makes her even more suspicious."

"What!?" Chie yelled. "They think Yukiko did it!? What the hell's wrong with them!?"

"Dude don't snap at me!" Yosuke yelled. "Yukiko's the victim here, dammit, not the suspect…."

"Let's calm down and save her," I said.

"Right! That's the important thing!" Chie shouted, seemingly... "beary" pumped up.

"With the police totally on the wrong track, we've gotta handle it ourselves," Yosuke said. I nodded.

"I'm going, too!" Chie yelled. "And that's final! I'm going to save Yukiko, no matter what!"

"Are you gonna be alright?" he asked. "But man… they just confiscated our weapons. We can't go in empty-handed."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Weapons? I know just the place!" Chie said.

"Really?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"C'mon! Follow me!" she said, jogging out of the station. Yosuke and I glanced at each other and ran after her.

We were in this… antique store. It was fairly dark in here. I saw a forge of some sort in the back of the store. There were weapons and armor on the racks.

"Here we are!" announced Chie.

"What kinda shop is this?" Yosuke inquired in disbelief.

"A metalworks, I guess?" Chie suggested. "They sell all sorts of metal crap, like katanas and stuff."

"Doesn't that seem weird to you? Why would you know about a place like this anyway?" Yosuke asked. "Oh, I get it. You watched one too many kung-fu movies, and—"

"It's not that at all!" Chie protested, glaring at him. "I overheard some guys in our class talk about it. They said this place sells weapons and armor." She walked over to a vest. "Here, this one looks good. But it might be too heavy…."

"I dunno, Chie," Yosuke said. "I still think it's too dangerous. I know how you feel, but—"

"You don't!" Chie yelled. "You don't know s*** about how I feel! Yukiko might die from this, for crying out loud! I'm going, and that's that!"

"Fine," I said. "But stay behind us and_ be careful._"

"Psh! I'll be fine!" she said. "My reflexes are second to none!"

"Listen! I'm not kidding around," Yosuke said. "You don't know what it's like in there! If you're not gonna listen to our warnings, we're leaving you here! If you insist on coming, just make sure you have something to protect yourself."

"Alright…," she said reluctantly.

"But man, what should we get?" he asked, coming to me. "Hey, Misaki-chan. Mind picking out something for me, too?" He grinned.

"Wh-what?" I stammered, backing up a little. I glanced away. "I don't know what kinda stuff you like…."

"That doesn't matter," he said. His face was a little red. "You're our main asset in battle right now, so I think you should choose whatever makes it easiest for you."

"U-um…. Okay," I finally replied. He gave me 5000 yen. I walked around, studying the armor and weapons.

"I got my stuff all picked out!" Chie announced, grinning. "How about you two?"

"You know… if we wear this stuff around town, we'll just get picked up again," said Yosuke. "But it's not like we can waltz into Junes with a sack full of gear and expect no one to notice, either."

"Why not conceal them under our uniforms?" suggested Chie. "I don't think people would notice."

"Okay… let's try that," Yosuke replied. "Alright, let's split up and get ready. The store'll be crowded until the afternoon sale ends, and if we walk around together, the cops might get suspicious."

"Then I'll see you guys at the Junes food court!" Chie said. I nodded and walked to the counter. I bought an Imitation Katana for myself and a Hunting Nata for Yosuke. Then I got Chain Mail for the both of us. I gave the stuff to Yosuke and we split up.

I walked south a few steps and a blue door appeared next to me, against the wall. Some people walked by it without a second glance. No one seems to notice it….

_So it finally begins,_ a familiar voice said in my head. _Now if you'll give me a moment of your time…._ The Velvet Key in my pocket was shining. I walked over to the door and touched it.

I found myself in the Velvet Room. Igor and Margaret were there, but there was another person there. A girl with short black hair. She wore black-and-white striped pants and long boots. She wore a red skirt and white shirt. She sported a black tie and a blue hat. Slung on her shoulder was a blue bag of some sort.

"We have been expecting you," Igor said, giving me his creepy smile. I shuddered. "The catastrophe that is headed your way…. It has already taken human lives in its approach towards you. But you have nothing to fear. You already have the power to fight against it. It seems that the time for you to use your Persona has come." He chuckled, sending chills down my spine.

"Your Persona ability is that of the Wild Card," Margaret explained unhelpfully, for I had no idea what it meant. "If you strengthen your bonds properly, their power will help you overcome any ordeal. Our role is to facilitate that."

"My contribution," said Igor, "is to give birth to new Personas." I tried to picture him "giving birth to Personas." I shook my head to clear the unnecessary thoughts before they went too far. "By mixing together multiple Persona cards, I can transmute them into a new form," he continued. I stared at him, although I knew it was rude. Does he ever stop smiling? "This, in other words, is the fusion of Personas," he said. "You have the power to hold multiple Personas and use them accordingly." Another thought popped into my head. How did his nose get so long? "When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards," he explained. "At times, they may be hard to grasp… but you must master your fear and reach out to them. When you obtain new cards, please do not hesitate to bring them here. If you have been developing your Social Links, then your Persona will gain even more power. They will be one of your chief sources of strength. You would do well to take this to hear." Well… I did recall the Magician Social Link thingy with Yosuke…. I sighed, trying to get everything he told me straight. It seems that when a Persona of the... the same Arcana that I have a Social Link with, it'll gain more power.

Igor and Margaret glanced at each other.

"The tome you see in my hand is the Persona Compendium," Margaret explained. "Registering the Personas you hold will allow you to recall them at any time. Please see me when you wish to use it. Oh, and one more thing. I would like to introduce a new resident of the Velvet Room, who will be helping you on your journey." The girl and I studied each other. _Wait a sec…._ She looked like the girl I had bumped into before at the station my first day here! What's she doing here?

"Marie?" Margaret asked.

"Yeah, I can hear," the girl scoffed. "Nice to meet you." _She's kinda mean...,_ I thought.

"Well… uh… I think we've meet somewhere before," I said. Actually, I was sure of it, but… I didn't feel like saying that.

"Oh. Maybe. That'd explain why you're so familiar," she replied. "Hmm."

"Excuse her," Margaret said. "This is Marie. Her soul is still very young, and—"

"Shut up!" Marie interrupted. "Don't tell her any more about me than you need to."

"…As you can see," Margaret said flatly. "She may be brusque at times, but please understand that she is only an apprentice and forgive her for her impoliteness."

"Um… okay," I replied.

"Marie will be dealing with 'Skill Cards'," she continued. "Using these cards will allow you to provide your Personas with new powers. Also, I am sure she will help you form a bond between yourself and the 'outside world'. Marie will contact you at a later date. Please feel free to speak with her here when you wish to use her services." I nodded. Igor chuckled.

"Do you recall my words to you before?" he inquired, that creepy smile still glued onto his face. Doesn't he get tired of smiling? Maybe he stops smiling when I leave the room. "'The coming year is a turning point in your destiny…. If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost'," he recited._ How the hell did he remember that? I can barely remember the last thing I had said…._ "I meant precisely what I said," he continued. "Defeat in battle is not the only way your journey may come to an end. Please do not forget this. When next we meet, you will come here of your own will. I look forward to it."

"I don't...," I muttered quietly to myself.

"Until then… farewell," he said. I exited the Velvet Room.

I sighed. What a whole bunch of food for thought!

I went home so that I could change and put on my armor. I glanced at my uniform and hesitated. After a few seconds I grabbed my t-shirt and sweatpants and put it on. I grabbed my katana and stared at it._ How the hell am I supposed to sneak in there with_ this_!?_ I sighed and placed it in a bag, hoping people wouldn't notice. Then I headed to Junes.

I walked over to Chie and Yosuke. They both stood up.

"We really stick out," Yosuke muttered. He had his natas strapped to his either side of his hips in sheathes. "Guess it doesn't help that we're in our school unifroms on a Sunday."

"At least—you are," I said.

"Why aren't you in your uniform?" Chie asked.

"Because I don't like fighting in a skirt," I replied shortly.

"Anyway the sale should end soon," Yosuke interrupted. "That'll get rid of some of the people wandering around here. Alright, let's get going." He turned to Chie. "Chie, it's not too late to—"

"I'm going!" she replied angrily.

"Fine, but don't push yourself, got it?" he said.

I nodded. We went into the electronics department and went into the T.V.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woo! Another chapter! *sigh* This is part 1 of the whole day. I'm going to add some battle scenes in the next chapter. Look forward to it!**


	10. Chie's Shadow

Teddie was in a corner, grabbing his head and shaking it back and forth slowly. I took out my glasses and put them on.

"What, it really is that bear from last time," remarked Chie.

"What're you doing?" asked Yosuke.

"Can't you tell? I'm thinking about stuff," Teddie replied sadly._ Was he thinking about himself all this time?_ "I've been deli-bear-ating it for a long time now," he continued. "Hey, that wasn't a bad joke." He chuckled as Yosuke groaned.

"So did you figure anything out?" he inquired. "Eh, it's probably useless to think about it too much. I've seen the inside of your skull, and it was empty." Teddie stomped over to Yosuke and glared at him.

"How rude!" he exclaimed. "You're right, though. I try and try but nothing comes out of my head."

"Will you guys shut up!?" Chie yelled, waving her arms around. "Now's not the time for jokes! Listen… someone came here yesterday, right?"

"Wow! There's a girl with a better nose than me!?" exclaimed Teddie. "What's your name, Miss?"

"'Miss'?" Chie repeated, scratching her head. "Uh, I'm Chie. But never mind that! Tell me more about that 'someone'!"

"I think it happened a little after I talked with you guys," Teddie explained. "After that, it felt like someone was here."

"Is it Yukiko-san!?" Yosuke demanded.

"I don't know. I haven't looked," Teddie replied. He turned around and pointed. "The presence is over that way. That's probably where they are."

"Over there, huh?" Chie said. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah!" Yosuke answered. We ran to the destination as fast as we could.

"What the…? A castle!?" Chie exclaimed, gaping at the huge thing in front of us. "Y'think this is the place they showed on T.V. last time!?"

"Yeah," I said, studying the castle. It was brownish, and it looked like your everyday fairy tail castle.

"You're positive that no one's behind a camera for that bizarre midnight program?" Yosuke asked Teddie.

"'Program'? I don't know," Teddie replied. "Maybe people on your side can see stuff in this world. It might be like that. And I told you before! There's only me and Shadows here! There's no 'camera' stuff going on. This world has been like this from the beginning."

"'From the beginning'?" Yosuke repeated. "That's what we don't understand!"

"I dunno…. Can you guys explain everything about your world?" Teddie asked. "I've never seen this 'program' thingy before, so I don't know," he continued.

"Well is that really what's happening?" Chie asked. "Are we really looking into this world? Because the first time Yukiko showed up on the midnight channel was before she disappeared. Doesn't that seem off? I mean, Yukiko saying stuff like 'score myself a hot stud'? That's not like her at all!"

"'Score'? 'Stud'?" Teddie repeated, obviously confused. The others continued to talk about Yukiko on the Midnight Channel.

"I think that 'program' happens because of the person who appears on it. Or something like that," said Teddie.

"So Yukiko is producing that show herself?" Chie exclaimed. "I don't get this at all!"

"Do you feel her presence from inside?" I asked Teddie.

"I'm pretty sure," he replied. "So, um… what's this 'scoring with a hot stud' thing?"

"Yukiko's here…," Chie muttered, turning to the castle. "I'm going on ahead!"

"What!?" I yelled as she ran off.

"Hey, wait! Don't go alone!" Yosuke called after her. She ignored us. "Geez, we better follow her," he muttered.

"Yeah," I said.

"There's a lot of Shadows inside the castle…," Teddie muttered nervously. "Oh! I almost forgot! Here, take this." He handed me some Revival Beads, Peach Seeds, and Soul Drops. "Well, off you go," he said.

"Thanks, Teddie," I said. I faced the castle and took my sword out of the bag. I strapped it onto my back. "Let's do this." We charged in.

The inside was huge. The floor was checkered. On top of it was a red carpet.

"The Shadows got aggravated since you two went in!" Teddie yelled, cowering behind us. I sighed. "Uh, try to attack them before they do!" I nodded and looked at Yosuke.

"Who's gonna take point?" I asked.

"You are," he replied immediately.

"What!?" I exclaimed. I was not used to being in charge of things. I studied Yosuke's face and sighed. "Fine…." I mumbled. I ran down the hallway and pushed open the first door I saw. The double door was gold and about three times as tall as me and twice as wide as me. I unsheathed my sword and ran down the hallway.

It zig-zagged a bit and led us to another door. I pushed it open to find a room. In the center was a red rug the covered much of the room. There was a treasure chest in it. I opened it and grabbed the thing inside it. A Snuff Soul.

We ran out and continued down the hall, opening doors.

In one room, we saw a black blob thing, most likely a Shadow.

"Let's get it," whispered Yosuke. I nodded and ran into the room, striking the Shadow from behind. A huge puff of black smoke exploded from it. The smoke cleared, revealing three Shadows._ What? I swear there was only one!_ They were the sphere things with mouths. Only this time, they were white. I ran around and struck the one on the left. It recoiled, then attacked me. Jumping back, I used Zio on it. It dodged it and struck me. I somehow parried its tongue and countered it. The Shadow rushed at me and hit me with its tongue really hard. I fell back and landed on my ass. I quickly summoned Izanagi and used Zio. This time, it struck the Shadow, making it fall down. I quickly got up and attacked it until it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Yosuke destroyed the other one. I used Zio on the last one and if fell down.

"Let's do this!" I yelled, charging the Shadow. Yosuke ran in with me, and we attacked the monster. A few seconds later, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. I smiled, satisfied. "A successful first battle!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Yosuke agreed, fist pumping. Suddenly, tarot cards appeared in front of my eyes. I heard Igor's voice echo in my head.

_When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards,_ he said._ At times, they may be hard to grasp, but you must master your fear and reach out to them._ The cards stopped swirling around and settled in front of me and flipped over. One was a Persona that looked like a slime. The other one had a picture on it. An eye was at the bottom, under a lantern thing. There was a Roman numeral under the eye: IX. I chose the slime thing, knowing that I needed to fill out the Persona Compendium or whatever it was. I felt Slime (the Persona) enter my heart area. The cards disappeared.

I felt something different. I searched through my Personas and saw that Izanagi learned Rakunda, a defense-lowering spell.

Yosuke was staring at me.

"You all right?" he asked, coming closer to me.

"I'm fine," I said. "Why?"

"You were just staring into space or something."

"Oh… uh… it was… some weird thing. Nothing to worry about," I assured him. "Let's go."

We went up the stairs we found in a room.

The second floor had a door right in front of us. We walked up to the door.

"There she is!" Teddie exclaimed. "Chie-san is in there!" I breathed deeply, calmed my nerves, and pushed open the door.

It was a gigantic room. There was a huge red square carpet in the middle. Chie stood there, not moving.

"Chie! Are you all right!?" Yosuke called as we ran up to her. She didn't respond. "Chie?"

"She said that red looks good on me…." Yukiko's voice echoed throughout the room.

"Yukiko-san!?" Yosuke yelled, looking around.

"I hated my name," the voice continued. "Yukiko… 'Snow'…. Snow is cold and it melts quickly. It's transient…. Worthless. But it's perfect for me…. Apart from inheriting the inn, I'm worthless. Still, Chie told me that red looks good on me."

"Are these… Yukiko-san's inner thoughts?" Yosuke asked. "I remember hearing Saki-senpai's, too…."

"Yeah," Teddie said. "This castle is probably here because of this Yukiko person."

"Yukiko…," muttered Chie.

"Chie was the only one who gave my life meaning," Yukiko's voice said. "She's bright and strong, and she can do anything…. She has everything that I don't. Compared to Chie, I'm… I'm…. Chie protects me… she looks after my worthless life. And I… I don't deserve any of it. Chie is so kind…."

"Yukiko, I…," Chie whispered, her face contorted in pain.

"'Chie is so kind,' huh? What a joke," another voice said. It sounded like Chie's with a deep undertone.

"What!?" exclaimed Chie, stepping back. Another Chie stepped out of the shadows. She was surrounded with a dark aura, much like the Shadow Yosuke.

"Oh man… is that…!?" Yosuke said. I unsheathed my sword, ready for the worst.

"It's just like Yosuke!" Teddie yelled. "She lost control over her suppressed self! Now it's a Shadow!" Shadow Chie chortled.

"Are we talking about_ that_ Yukiko!?" she laughed. "She says I'm protecting her!? She says she's worthless." She laughed. "That's how it should be, right?"

"What're you saying!?" Chie yelled.

"Yukiko's soooooooo good looking… sooooo fair-skinned… sooooo feminine. She's the one all the guys drool over. When Yukiko looked at me with such jealously… man did I get a charge out of that. Yukiko knows the score. She can't do anything if I'm not around. I'm better than her. Much, much better!"

"No! I have never thought that!" Chie yelled, glaring at the Shadow.

"What're we gonna do?" Yosuke asked, getting his knives ready.

"We need to protect Chie," I said, staring intently at her and her Shadow.

"Yeah!" Teddie agreed. We ran closer to her.

"No, don't come near me! Don't look at me!" Chie ordered unsuccessfully.

"Chie, calm down!" Yosuke yelled.

"No, no! This isn't me!" she shouted.

"Wait, stupid! Don't say anything else like that!" he shouted back. All the while, the Shadow looked on with a smile on her face. She laughed.

"That's right," she said. "I'm the one who can't do anything alone. I can't win as a girl, let alone as a person. I'm pathetic. But Yukiko… she depends on me. That's why she's my friend. I'll never loosen my grip on her. She's too important to me."

"No! That's not how I think of her!" Chie protested. Shadow Chie chuckled.

"So you're just gonna turn your back and deny me again?" she asked, smiling creepily. But things are different now. When the time comes, I'll be the one left standing. You won't mind, right? I'm still you!"

"Shut up!" Chie yelled. "You're…"

"Chie, no!" Yosuke shouted.

"You're not me!" she screamed. Shadow Chie laughed evilly. The aura around her turned black and black stuff flooded into her. After everything cleared, revealing a woman in a banana mask. She had tall yellow boots on. She sat on top of girls. Her black hair was suuuper long. In her hand was a whip. Chie cried out.

"Chie!" Yosuke yelled.

"It's coming! You have to use your powers to save Chie-chan!" Teddie yelled. I ran backwards, away from the Shadow.

"I am a Shadow… the true self!" Shadow Chie yelled. She cracked her whip. "What do you guys think you're doing? Trying to defend the 'real' me!? Then you're gonna pay the price!"

"Shut up!" Yosuke shouted, running around her. "Quite being such a pain! Chie, just hand in there a little longer!"

"Hah! Think you can stop me that easy!?" Shadow Chie taunted. I summoned Izanagi and used Rakunda on her. A small purple sphere shrunk on the Shadow and disappeared. A small green tornado formed where she was and vanished. She fell down. Yosuke and I charged at her, slashing repeatedly. I backed away, motioning Yosuke to do the same. Shadow Chie got up and yelled, "Looks like you won't understand without a little pain!" She used Mazio (the multi-target electricity spell. Hits all enemies). I dodged it, but Yosuke got hit, and fell down. The Shadow whipped Yosuke, and he cried out in agony. I ran towards him and helped him up. As I did that, Shadow Chie made a green shield thingy and it disappeared. Izanagi flew to the Shadow and slashed at her. Yosuke used Garu (the wind spell) again, but to no avail. She didn't fall down. She laughed.

"How lame!" she taunted. "You're all so deadly serious, and we've only gotten started!" She used Mabufu (a multi-target ice spell). An ice cube about the size of my chest formed and broke, forcing me back. Yosuke used Dia (a healing spell) on me, and I felt a little better.

"Thanks!" I called as I charged towards the Shadow. She whipped the ground in front of me, forcing me to stop. Izanagi rushed in and attacked her, slashing at her face. While she was blinded, I decided to switch Personas. A tarot card appeared in my hand as Izanagi faded. I flipped it over and the card disappeared.

"Slime!" I yelled, smashing the tarot card.

"What!?" Yosuke exclaimed. "You can use more than one Persona!? No fair!"

I ran up to the Shadow. It appeared in front of me and used smashed into Shadow Chie. She recoiled and I used that instant to attack her. I slashed at her a few times, cutting part of her hair and boot. I jumped back as Yosuke ran in, using Garu. Then his Persona, Jiraiya, attacked her face. I switched Personas again, back to Izanagi. I used Zio and she fell, black smoke flooding out from her. When the smoke cleared, we saw a girl laying on the floor.

We ran to Chie. She slowly got up, groaning.

"Chie! Are you okay!?" Yosuke asked worriedly.

"What happened?" she asked. She looked up and saw her other self. Shadow Chie was standing now. "What's the matter? Got nothing to say anymore?"

"Stop it, Chie. It's all right," Yosuke said. Chie turned to us.

"But," she began.

"Everyone's like that," I said patiently. "We all have another side that we don't want people to see."

"Everyone…?" she repeated quietly.

"She's right…. I went through the same thing," Yosuke muttered. "So I can understand. I mean… everyone has a side like this." Chie turned around and walked up to her Shadow. I sheathed my sword.

"Yeah… I kinda get it now," she said. "You are me…. A side of me I couldn't forgive. That I tried to ignore. But you still exist. You're a part of me." Shadow Chie nodded and turned into a Persona. It wore a tight yellow shirt and pants. Around its waist is some kind of armor. It had a helmet on, the top of it really long. Its long black hair flowed out from under the helmet. In its hand was a naginata.

The Persona disappeared and the fire flowed into Chie's heart. We walked to Chie.

"I…. Um, it's true that part of me feels that way," Chie admitted. "But I wasn't lying about being friends with Yukiko!"

"Like we didn't know that already," Yosuke said. Chie fell on her knees.

"Chie!" I cried out.

"I'm okay… just a little tired," she muttered.

"'A little'?" I asked, kneeling next to her. I slung her arm around my neck and stood up, bringing her with me.

"You don't look okay at all," remarked Yosuke. "And I bet… you can use the same power we have now."

"Huh?" she asked, looking at Yosuke.

"What should we do?" he asked, glancing at me.

"We should go back," I said.

"I agree. We need to let Chie rest," he said.

"I never said I needed a break!" protested Chie. "I can still keep going." She started for the door, taking her arm off of my neck.

"No you can't," I said curtly, sighing.

"Don't overdo it!" Teddie yelled, blocking her path.

"It's not that we don't think you can," Yosuke explained. "It's just—we have to save Yukiko-san no matter what. Now that you have the power, you can fight with us. It'd be much better for us all if you had your strength back. That's why we're saying we should go back and regroup."

"But Yukiko's still in here, isn't she!?" Chie cried. "If those were Yukiko's true feelings… then I have to tell her something. I'm not as strong as she thinks! It's because she was with me. Because we were always together, I was able to act the way. If we weren't, I'd…."

"Well, you need to get your strength back!" Teddie said. "Then you can tell her! Yuki-chan's normal. The Shadows don't attack normal people. They only when the fog lifts here."

"So Yukiko-san will be safe until then, right?" Yosuke asked.

"I'm positive!" he replied.

"Why? I don't get it," Chie said bluntly.

"Teddie told us that the weather here is the opposite of our own world," Yosuke explained. "When if fogs over in our world…. That's the day it lifts here, and that's when the Shadows attack their victim. So even if we leave for a while, Yukiko-san won't be in danger until the fog starts to cover Inaba. I'm sure of it. It was the same way for that announcer and Senpai."

"You mean, they were killed by their other selves?" she asked.

"The fog usually appears after it rains," he said. "But it's been sunny lately. I don't think it's going to rain anytime soon. Don't worry so much. We'll check the weather forecast first thing when we get back."

"But I can't turn back now!" Chie protested. "We've come so far!" I sighed, exasperated. "Yukiko's still here! She's all alone…. She must be so scared!"

"God dang it, Chie!" I yelled, feeling impatient and slightly angry. "If we go now, we'll all die! You can barely move and Yosuke and I had to fight that huge Shadow! We're all exhausted! If we're gonna go, then tell me how much further we gotta go to reach Yukiko-san!"

"Th-that's…!" Chie began.

"GOD!" I shouted. I stomped off, away from Chie. I took deep breaths, trying to get my anger under control. Yosuke talked to Chie for a bit.

"Hey Misaki!" Yosuke called, and waved me over. I walked over to them.

"I'm sorry about before," Chie apologized. "I shouldn't have rushed in like that by myself." I sighed and gave her a small smile.

"Let's go together next time, then," I said.

"No worries," Yosuke said. "We're definitely gonna save Yukiko-san, right?"

"Right!" agreed Chie. We went back to the entrance.

"I'm feeling even worse than the last time I came in here," Chie complained. "My head feels like it's gonna split open. Are you guys okay?" I grinned.

"It's thanks to these," I said, pointing to my glasses. Speaking of which, they start to hurt. I took mine off.

"That's right, you're not wearing the glasses," Yosuke said. Chie stared at them.

"Oh yeah… what's with those glasses?" she asked. "Did your eyesight go bad?"

"Man, you didn't notice until now? How panicked were you?" Yosuke asked.

"Tum de dummm!" Teddie sang. "I got a pair ready for Chie-chan, too. Here you go!" He handed her a pair. They were yellow and kinda rounded. And like all of the glasses he'd made, it had the rainbow strip on the side.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, looking around. "This is awesome! It's like the fog doesn't exist!"

"Why didn't you whip those out earlier if you had them?" inquired Yosuke.

"I made them right now!" Teddie explained impatiently. "You didn't tell me she was coming! It was all so sadden! I mean, sudden!"

"Wait," I said. "You made them just_ now_!?" He nodded. How did he make them so fast?

"Huh, so that's the trick," Chie mused. "I was wondering how you guys could see where you were going. Hey is it alright if I keep these?"

"Fo' sho!" Teddie replied happily.

"We'll have to stop here today, but I'll be back with these puppies," Chie said. "You guys better not come here without me, got it!?"

"Yeah, let's all promise each other," Yosuke said. "Nobody goes in alone. It's way too dangerous. If we don't work together, we won't be able to solve this case or save Yukiko-san, right?"

"Yeah, you're right," I agreed. I'm a cooperative person, so I really like teamwork.

"Yeah, I agree," Chie said. "I promise, too."

"Let's solve the case, then!" I yelled, fist pumping.

"Alright, so from tomorrow on, we'll try and come here as much as we can after school. And that includes days off," Yosuke said. "Misaki-chan… would you mind being our leader?"

"What!?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"You were the first to get this power," he explained, "and you're way better in a fight than either of us. I think it's best for all of us if you set the pace of the investigation, and we follow your lead. I'm cool playing second banana." I hesitated for a while.

"…. Okay," I finally replied. "But you guys are gonna have to help me, got it? I'm not made to be a leader, so if I do something wrong, get me back on track, okay?"

"Got it," he replied. "We're counting on you, Misaki-chan. I mean, I'm more the advisor type, y'know? An ideas man, not an executive."

"I'm with Yosuke," Chie said. "If you're the one calling the shots, I'd feel a lot more comfortable about this."

"I'm with Yosuke too," Teddie said. "If you're the one calling the shots, my pillow will be a lot more comfortable at night."

"Teddie, would you please stop talking?" Chie said. "I'm really on edge right now."

"Guys," I said seriously. "I'm more of a follower than a leader. I know for a fact that I'll screw up somewhere. You guys better keep an eye on me, you hear? I don't want to mess things up." They all nodded.

Everything stopped. A card appeared in front of me and flipped over, showing a silhouette of a man walking with a dog. The man was holding a stick with a bag at the end of it.

_Thou art I... and I am thou..._

_Thou has established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana._

Everything came back to life.

"Okay," Yosuke said, as if nothing happened. "Let's get some rest for today so we're ready for tomorrow on. And don't forget to check the weather forecast. It gets foggy after a lot of rain, so let's keep an eye out. Also, let's make sure we gear up for next time."

"Seems like Yosuke's the one calling the shots, not me," I muttered. Yosuke heard me.

"Oh. Sorry," he apologized, chuckling. We went out of the T.V. and went home.

I sat at the coffee table, eating dinner with Dojima and Nanako. Dojima was quiet, with a stern expression on his face.

"Hey," he muttered. "Mind if I ask you something? You aren't getting involved with any strange business, are you…? What happened at the station this afternoon… it's still bothering me. Is there… anything you're not telling me?"

"It's nothing important," I replied. I immediately felt guilty. I hated lying to my uncle… but I had no choice. He won't believe any of it.

"I'll be the judge of that," he said. "Well, it's just been nagging at me, that's all."

"What's wrong?" Nanako asked, looking worried. "Are you fighting?"

"No… we're not having a fight," Dojima said.

"This isn't the police station," his daughter said.

"I agreed to look after you," he said. "So don't get yourself involved in anything that could get you into trouble. Got that?" I nodded.

The weather was on. It seems that it's gonna be sunny for a while. We continued eating our dinner. After we finished, I went over to the refrigerator, looking for a snack. There was some fried rice. I stared at it. I decided to eat it. It tasted like nothing. After that, I went into my room. I was about to go to bed when Nanako called me.

"The phone!" she called. I went back downstairs.

"It's me, Morooka," said the man on the other side. I tried not to groan. "I have something that I've prepared just for you. I was going to deliver it to your house, but the situation's changed. I need you to come pick it up."

"So…. Uh… where are you?" I asked hesitantly.

"Er, where am I? I was getting to that!" he yelled. I moved the phone away from my ear. "I am in the front of the gas station at the shopping district. You got that? Now hurry up and come pick it up!" He hung up. I sighed and talked to Dojima about it and he let me go. I hurried to the designated place.

King Moron was yelling at a female student. I waited until they were finished. And walked up to him. He gave me the Yasogami High Jersey. I hurried back home.

I told Dojima what happened quickly and went to bed, feeling really tired from the day in the T.V.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! First dungeon! My friend kept pestering me to upload the new chapter. *sigh* Well here it is! Hope you enjoyed it and feel free to critique me at any time! :D**


	11. A Girl Who's Not of Man

**Monday, 4/18 (Early Morning)**

"I wonder how Chie's doing," Yosuke remarked as I sat down at my desk in school. "Too much stuff happened yesterday. I hope she's back to her usual self."

"Yeah," I muttered, taking out my pencil. Chie walked in and came over to us.

"Oh, mornin'," she greeted, waving.

"D'you sleep well?" I asked, taking out my notebook.

"Yep," she replied with a small smile. "I was out cold until this morning."

"That's good to hear," I said, stretching. She glanced at both of us nervously, then scratched her head.

"…Thanks for everything yesterday," she said. "It's kinda embarrassing, ya know? You two were right there to see my hidden feelings and all…."

"Don't sweat it," replied Yosuke.

"The same thing happened to Yosuke right?" Chie asked. "So… what was it like?"

"Huh? Uh… how should I put this…?" he mumbled. "Oh! I nearly forgot! None of that happened when yours awakened, huh? Hmm… could that be because you got nothing to hide?" I shrugged.

"Oh. So nothing happened for you?" she asked. "I gotta agree that you seem like a pretty open girl. There's a funny air around you. I dunno. I guess that's what draws people to you, or something like that."

"Uh… thanks?" I said, not knowing if that was a compliment.

"Anyways, what's most important right now is to rescue Yukiko," Chie said. "I'm dead set on coming. Remember, you promised."

"I got it, I got it," I replied. I looked straight into her eye. "I don't break my promises." The bell rang.

"Oh crap!" Yosuke yelled. "I still haven't gone to the bathroom!" He ran off.

"Hey, um," Chie said. "Thanks for saving me…." She gave me a small smile. "I feel like you won't let me down…."

Everything froze. The card it showed this time had a picture of a knight sitting on a carriage (like—the one for kings and stuff). Lions were pulling it.

_Thou art I... and I am thou..._

_Thou has established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana._

Everything came back to life. Then I realized that I didn't have Chie's contact info.

"Uh, Chie?" I said. "Uh, what's your phone number? I think I'll need it if something comes up and I need to call you or something."

"Oh, right. You'll need this from now on, huh?" she said. We exchanged cell numbers. "We have to be careful of the fog that sets in after the rain, right? Let's save her before that happens!"

"Yeah," I agreed.

**(Afternoon)**

Mr. Kondo, the P.E. teacher, was telling us that he was to teach English as well. I sighed. A P.E. teacher couldn't possibly teach proper English. He asked me a question about the alphabet: "What does the beta mean in alphabet?" I answered it easily: "beta." I sat back down and doodled on my paper.

**(After School)**

I stretched and packed my things. I realized that I hadn't really explored the school much. So, I decided to go upstairs, where the third-year students were.

Up here, I met this funky student with an afro.

"You're that second-year, right?" he asked. I was about to say "Yes" when he interrupted me. "Hey, why did I assume that? 'Cuz I know the ways of the woooorld. I don't know you, and you're coming up, so it's a 50-50 that you're a second-year! Deductive reasoning like whoa!"

"I didn't ask how you knew I was a—" I began before I was cut off again.

"Now I, the OG third-year, will challenge you, the second-year youngblood, with a riddle!" the funky student announced. "And no, it isn't because I'm try to avoid studying for the entrance exams! I'm just doing you a favor here, girly!"

"Dude, I didn't ask why you're doing thi—" I began before he interrupted.

"If you answer correctly, I will present you with a 'key'," he said. I sighed.

"Fine then," I said. "I accept your challenge!"

"Looks like your spirit is willing," he said loudly. "Let's see if your mind can vibe this! Riddle time!

"I'ma drop some stuff into two distinct categories. At the end you gotta drop the last item onto the proper category," he explained. "Can you dig it?" I nodded. "Red's group A. Grey's group B." I hesitated, trying to remember it.

"Okay," I said.

"White's puttin' it down for group A," he continued. "Orange has a group B tattoo." I tried to sear that into my mind, then nodded. "Green's A for sheezy. Pink's group B times infinity." I nodded after a moment. "Aight, so which group does 'black' belong to? A or B? Holla!" I rubbed my chin.

_Red, A. Grey, B,_ I remembered._ White, A. Orange, B. Green, A. Pink, B._

"…. Group A," I answered hesitantly.

"Oh yeah!" he yelled. "So tell me what all those items have in common! Give it to me!"

_Red, white, green, black,_ I recalled. A thought popped into my head.

"Aren't they the top 5 or 6 flag colors?" I asked.

"Yeah!" the student shouted. "Your mind is a beautiful thing and you are not letting it go to waste, yo! Way to be! Since you're down with vexillology, you knew that group A was four of the six most prevalent world flag colors. The other two to round out the top six are blue and yellow. I must say I wasn't expecting a second-year to have such a trenchant insight. But you have passed, and I now dub you my riddle sister. Here's a little sumthin' sumthin'!" He handed me three Chest Keys.

"Thank you," I said, bowing to him slightly. I placed them in my pocket and went down to the first floor. I considered exploring the rest of the school, but decided that I was too lazy to do it, so I left.

I went to Junes and wandered around the entrance, not knowing what to do. I walked past a housewife in farming clothes.

"Anyone interested in some fresh vegetables and seedlings for the garden?" she asked. "How about you, miss? I don't have that many left. Right now, I can give you a few Tiny Soul Tomatoes for 800 yen. How about it?"

"Uh… sure," I replied, getting my wallet out so that I could pay her. She gave my three Tiny Soul Tomatoes and I handed her 800 yen. After a few minutes, I exited Junes.

I went to the central shopping district, making my way up to the shrine. I read the poster on the window of the book store.

"The following books are being released on 4/20! 'The Lovely Man' 1200 yen. The famous an series—now in stock! 'Expert Study Methods' 2800 yen. Get an edge over your classmates! 'Beginner Fishing' 1600 yen. Now you can be a fisher too!" the poster announced. Then I went into the Velvet Room, just because.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor greeted. "Well, then…. I shall tell you about how I can offer you my 'assistance.' I can gather a number of Personas you possess and provide you with the ability to 'fuse' them." He continued to explain about summoning and registering Personas. Then he explained how to fuse Personas. A Normal Spread is a fusion of two Personas. A Triangle Spread is the fusion of three Persona. And basically, there are tons of fusion results. But each fusion only makes one Persona. And the Persona that's created through fusion can have additional power and "inherit" abilities from the Personas that are being fused. He said I should refer to the "Fusion Forecast" to "help ensure that your fusion results go as you desire."

Then Margaret explained the Persona Compendium. Basically, you can register Personas so that it appears on there. And you can update the info, like if your Persona learns a new ability or whatever. It can also be summoned, or bought, from the Compendium… somehow. I decided not to ask. But the stronger the Persona, the more you have to pay to summon it._ What the hell do they use the money for in here?_ I wondered, glancing around the room. Registering Personas is free, she says._ Yeah, it better be!_ After she was done explaining, I registered Izanagi.

Marie quickly explained about Skill Cards. Apparently, she could clone them, or something. I have to give them to her and she'll clone them. I'd lose the Skill Cards, but after that, I can buy as many Skill Cards as I liked. The prices, of course, would be different depending on the Skill Card's effect. I went out, then remembered something.

"You came," Marie said. "You must come here a lot, huh. Whatcha want this time? A Persona? A Skill Card? It doesn't matter to me."

"Excuse us," Margaret interjected. "Marie, you must learn to restrain yourself."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Marie asked. "Stupiduptightblockheadtwerp." Margaret sighed.

"I apologize sincerely. She is far too unruly for me to handle," Margaret muttered. I glanced at Marie.

"So, uh… why'd you bring her here?" I asked. Margaret chuckled.

"You speak as if her being her has nothing to do with you," she remarked. "This is all to help you on your journey."

"Huh?" I asked.

"This room is inseparable from your fate," she explained patiently. "Nothing in this room happens without purpose. It seems that you and Marie had already met before you encountered her in this room. Encountering one who is not of man, and communicating with her…. Your fate has led you to this meeting."

"'One who is not of man'?" I repeated, tilting my head to the side.

"Indeed," she replied. "This room is the crossroads of your fates. You, the customer, and she who is not of man, who has wandered into this place. Where will this meeting lead? Excuse me for saying so, but we, too are a bit interested in the outcome. Though she was in this land before you, in the end, Marie is not of man. In other words, her understanding of the world in which you live in is incomplete. Therefore, I ask of you to please take her outside this room, if you would. Okay, Marie? "

"Whatever," Marie mumbled. "Never mind." She looked pretty excited. I decided to take her out in a few minutes. I had other stuff to do first, so I left.

I went to Daidara and bought Chie some Platform Sneaks and Chain Mail. Then I went to the Shiroku Store and bought some Revival Beads, Goho-Ms, and Medicines. After my shopping spree, I went to a roulette machine and bought a Dr. Salt NEO for 120 yen. Then I won another drink from the roulette machine, so I chose the Second Maid for free. And then I won another prize, so I chose The Natural for free._ Yes!_ After that, I went to the shrine, popping open The Natural.

I walked past a boy who was yelling, "I really want some Dr. Salt NEO!" I stopped and brought out the drink he wanted from my bag and handed it to him.

"You're giving this to me? Really?" he asked. "My grandpa always says to thank people who give you things. Um, this is to show my thanks." He gave my two Tatsuhime Ladybugs.

"No problem," I said, giving him a small smile. Then I walked around the shrine for a bit and went back into the Velvet Room.

"So, uh, Marie?" I asked.

"What?" she demanded, giving me a sour look.

"You… uh… wanna hang out?" I mumbled, fidgeting.

"…Okay," she answered. "I want you to take me somewhere. It's small, it's dark, the Nose never says anything. It's stuffy in here." I tried not to laugh. "The Nose"?_ It's a perfect name for him!_ I thought, laughing silently to myself. The residents looked at me oddly.

"… Yeah," I managed to say after I got myself under control again.

"Uh… so, will you take me somewhere?" Marie asked.

"Sure," I replied, giving her a grin.

"Really!?" she exclaimed. "Well, let's go." And so we both went out.

We walked to Sozai Daigaku.

"Phew!" she said, taking in a deep breath. "I can finally breathe now. It's stuffy in that car."

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed.

"Y'know… I feel weird," she said, looking at me. "It's like… nostalgic, for the smell and all."

"Nostalgic?" I asked. "You've been here before?"

"Yeah, nostalgic," she replied. "That's what I said. It just… feels that way. There's a lot of stuff that I've never noticed before." She looked at Sozai Daigaku. "A 'Steak Skewer'?" she said, walking over to the counter.

"Hey, lady," she called. "I want one of those skewer things."

"Oh hello," the lady greeted happily. "That'll be 320 yen, please." Marie tried to say "320 yen," but failed.

"Thwee hunnert twin…," she muttered. I put my hands over my mouth, trying not to giggle. "That's hard to say," Marie remarked. "You can't eat without money?"

"You can't get anything without money," I replied. "The only things that are free are free samples and air." I chuckled. "So you really want to eat it? I can pay for it."

"You have money!?" she exclaimed. "That's awesome. You're awesome." Yosuke walked up to us.

"Yo, Misaki," he greeted. "Getting your steak on, huh?" He looked at Marie. "She's cute," he muttered. Then he glanced at me. "Uh, I mean, you're cute, too! Uh…." I burst out laughing. I hung out with guys more than I did girls at my old school, so I know how most of them act.

"Yosuke!" I laughed, wiping tears from my eyes. "You don't have to overreact! Dude, I don't care if you call her cute!" I laughed harder, hugging my stomach. It was just too funny seeing Yosuke, who was usually not like this around other girls, act like this whenever I'm around. He blushed a little bit.

"H-hey!" he protested. "I-I didn't know… uh…." I tried to stop laughing, but failed. After a few moments, I got myself under control.

"A-anyways, who's that?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"She's my friend," I answered.

"Friend…?" Marie repeated, looking surprised. "I guess… I don't know."

"I'm Yosuke Hanamura!" Yosuke introduced himself. "I'm her friend. Her partner, y'know." I nodded, glancing at Yosuke. It seems he didn't mind calling me his partner. Well... at least he's not blushing.

"Partner? You mean like a close friend?" Marie asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "What's your name?"

"Uh… Marie," she answered.

"Hmm, Marie-chan, is it?" Yosuke mused. "You want a steak skewer? All right, this one's on me!" He walked over to the counter.

"You mean you'll buy it for me?" Marie asked, looking more confused than ever. She turned to me. "Is that okay?"

"Well… there's no reason to turn it down," I replied.

"Hey, don't worry!" Yosuke assured her. "I got a little extra in my last paycheck. Three steak skewers! One for each of us."

"Oh my, business is booming!" the lady exclaimed happily. "Just a moment, please." We all took a steak skewer and started eating them. They were delicious! I sat down at the small table. Marie sat in front of me. Yosuke remained standing.

"Whew! Is that a bellyful or what!" Yosuke exclaimed. "This place always has huge portions. So, Marie-chan, what d'you think of the local specialty?"

"It's really weird," she answered. "It's tough, hard to bite into, and it god cold while I was still eating it. It was delicious."

"You didn't sound like you liked it at the beginning," I remarked, stretching my arms.

"But, all's well that ends well!" Yosuke said.

"Why's it called 'steak', anyway?" asked Marie. "Is it short for something?"

"Uh… it's short for… uh… 'steeeeeeaaaaaaaaaak'," I replied, trying to keep a straight face.

"That's stupid," she said. "Might as well just call it 'ake.' That's what I'm gonna do."

"That isn't much better," Yosuke muttered. He turned to me. "And you! Don't tell her lies! She's believing it!" I laughed.

"Can't I have just a little fun?" I asked with a large grin.

"I think you had too much fun already," he grumbled.

"You eat this every day?" Marie inquired. "No fair. I should've come earlier." She pouted. We continued to talk for a while before Yosuke had to leave because he had to get something from work.

"Your 'partner' is a funny person," she remarked.

"Yeah," I said. "That he is."

"But he bought me meat," she said. "That makes him a good person. That is fact." She smiled. I tried not to laugh._ "That makes him a good person. That is fact."_ I forced myself not to giggle. Marie stood up.

"Let's go somewhere else with a nice view," she said. So, I took her to the hill overlooking town. On the way there, she kept running off whenever my eyes left her, which made me pretty annoyed. No—super annoyed.

We finally arrived.

"It's really green here," she observed. "Green and… green. And some brown and… darker green?" She looked at the sky. "Leaves of green fly away. Farewell to you, clouds of the sky. I fly as well, lost as the day. Farewell to you, moon of the night." She was murmuring what seemed like a poem. A few seconds later, she abruptly stopped and looked at me.

"N-no! I-I wasn't making up a poem!" she shouted nervously. "It's just some words I was thinking! That's all!"

_Suuuurrrre,_ I thought sarcastically. She turned away, blushing fiercely.

"ShutupIhateyouyoustupidjerk!" she grumbled.

"I didn't say anyth—" I began.

"Don't snoop on me!" she shouted. Then she ran off again. I chased after her, sighing.

We were at a place overlooking the town.

"It's pretty big…," Marie observed. I nodded. "I don't know why," she continued, "but I feel good about this place. It reminds me of something. Are there any other places we can go? I want to see more."

"Sure," I replied, smiling at her.

"I notice a lot of things when I'm with you. It's pretty fun," she said,

Everything froze._ Again…?_ I thought, sighing. The card it showed this time was of a short, chubby bird-headed guy holding a staff. There was some kind of scarf going over him like a rainbow. The Roman numeral read: XX.

_Thou art I... and I am thou..._

_Thou has established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Aeon Arcana._

_This is getting redundant…,_ I thought. Everything came back to life again.

"All right, next! Where to now?" Marie asked eagerly. I showed Marie around town, then escorted her back to the Velvet Room.

**(Evening)**

Dojima was not home today. I considered sneaking out, then decided against it. I stomped up the stairs to my room tiredly.

I wish I had a book so I could read it. I sighed and decided to go to bed.

I dreamed that Chie was chasing me around. It was really weird and heart-pounding, but I felt that I was a little closer to her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I just looked through all of my stories... and I realized that they were really long. -_- Tell me if you guys like long chapters. And please tell me if you see any mistakes, or if I can do anything to improve my writing. :D**


	12. The Sports Club

**Tuesday, 4/19 (Early Morning)**

I was about to go downstairs when my phone rang.

"Hello," a voice greeted coolly. "I realize this is sudden, but…. I'm Margaret. We met at the Velvet Room the other day."

_ WHAT THE HELL!?_ I screamed in my head.

"H-how did you get my phone numbe—" I began.

"There is one important point I forgot to warn you about, so I thought it best to contact you immediately," she interrupted. "Going to save your friends is a selfless and noble deed. By all means, we encourage and support you in regards to this matter. But to proceed too hastily in that quest will mean facing one battle after the next. Though you may be pressed for time, devoting yourself to battles will not quench your heart's yearnings. The bonds created through Social Links are another important means of strengthening the powers of your Persona. Do not hasten heedlessly through your days, and remember the importance of moving at sustainable pace. Please remember that. Well then, if you'll excuse me…." We hung up. I was still wondering about how she got my cell phone number as I shuffled downstairs.

I heard two guys talking about sports clubs on the way to school. It seems that you can join sports clubs today.

**(After School)**

I recalled hearing something about the sports club thing, and surprised myself. I have a really bad memory, so I felt fairly proud of myself that I remembered something like that.

So, I decided to go to the faculty office.

Oh god… it's King Moron. I gathered my courage and walked in.

"Uh, King—uh, Mr. Morooka?" I called quietly.

"What!?" he demanded, glaring at me.

"U-uh… I want to join a sports club…," I replied timidly.

"You wanna join a club?" he asked, eyeing me over. He started to lecture me all of a sudden. I tried not to groan in front of him. "So, still wanna join a club?" he grunted.

"Um… yeah…," I whispered.

"What!?" he yelled.

"I want to join a sports club," I almost yelled.

"Hmph. You can join either the basketball club or soccer club," he answered. He told me the directions to where the clubs meet. He also said that they meet on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and that they don't meet on rainy days. After that, I thanked him and left.

I arrived at the place King Moron told me to go._ What team should I join…?_ I suck at anything that involved balls, but I figured there would be a Social Link there….

After a few moments, I decided to join the basketball club.

The P.E. teacher introduced me as the guys on the team gaped at me.

"Dude, look at her hips, man," one of them whispered loudly.

"And her legs," another murmured. I looked at the perverts.

_So this is the kind of team I'm in…?_ I sighed.

"Why don't you say something to the team?" the teacher asked.

"Uh… hi," I said weakly. The guys giggled.

"I can't believe there's a girl on our team!" one said quietly.

"Yeah," another agreed. I sighed again. The teacher left to go to the soccer team or whatever. And since this was my first day here, I simply watched them play.

The team practiced for a bit before they left. The guys kept staring at me, which made me very uncomfortable. A basketball player walked up to me. He was one of those guys who didn't stare at me. Actually, I think he's the only guy that didn't stare at me.

"Hey," he said. He had black hair and brown eyes. He was fairly skinny, and was about as tall as me.

"Uh, hi," I replied uneasily.

"Whatja think of your first day here?" he asked.

"Uh… kinda uncomfortable," I muttered, glancing at the exit.

"Oh yeah. I'm Kou Ichijo," he introduced himself. "Second year, same as you. Nice to meet ya. Good to see someone else take an interest in the team." A guy walked up to us. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. He was a slightly taller than me. He wore the Yaso High P.E. clothes.

"Kou, aren't you done yet?" he asked. He studied me. "Is this the new girl?"

"Yeah, can you believe it!?" Kou exclaimed. "She's the transfer student. And the only girl here!"

"That's cool," his friend remarked. "Daisuke Nagase," he told me. "Nice to meet you." I nodded. "Soccer team, second year. Kou and I go way back." Kou laughed.

"Yeah, too far back," he said. "I'm getting sick of seeing your face."

_ Man these two are really good friends,_ I thought, watching them insult each other. I sighed. Will I ever have a friend like that?

"Did everyone take off early like usual?" Daisuke inquired.

"Yep," sighed Kou. "I suggested we work on rebounding, but they were all like, 'That's too tiring.' So all we did was take a few shots. But I shouldn't scare Misaki-chan with my b****ing on her first day! We've got a lot of members who don't show up to practice, but basketball's fun. You've played before, right?"

"Just a bit," I replied. "I mean… I know how to dribble and shoot, and the basic rules. But I don't know the exact positions or whatever."

"Really!?" he exclaimed.

"Huh?" I muttered. "Am I that bad?"

"N-no!" he replied, waving his hands in front of him. "It's just that we've got some guys on the team that don't even know the rules!" I stared at him.

"Really?" I asked. Everything froze again. This time the card showed a woman on top of a lion or bear. The Roman numeral was XI. The Social Link of the Strength Arcana. I'm not gonna say what that voice in my head told me. It's basically the same thing every time. It's pretty redundant.

"We practice on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays," Kou told me. "Oh, there's not practice on rainy days, either, because the other clubs take over the gym. Sometimes it sucks being on such a small team…." He sighed. "And of course, we don't practice the week before exams."

"Are you stuck polishing balls again?" Daisuke asked.

"Yeah," Kou sighed. "While they go to their parties, I get to stay here and play with balls. I loooove them balls," he said sarcastically. "Man, I wanna party, too!"

"I'll help you," Daisuke offered. "Let's get this done and get outta here."

"I'll help out, too," I said.*

"You'd do that!?" Kou exclaimed. "You're a real pal, man. I think I'm tearing up." I tried not to laugh.

"Are your teammates that bad?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. He nodded. And, so, we cleaned everything up and went home.

**(Evening)**

I stepped through the door and noticed that Dojima's not home. I decided to sneak out and see what Inaba looks like at night.

I went to the shopping district and saw Yosuke.

"Hey," I said, walking up to him.

"Oh, hey, Misaki-chan," he replied. "Man, you're one unlucky person. As soon as you transfer her, this murder stuff starts. That normally never happens here! In fact… normally, nothing ever happens here."

"So this place was pretty boring, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Just lemme know if you find yourself bored. If you don't mind having me around, I'll hang out with you whenever you want." He paused, and said quickly, "I mean, not on a date or anything. Just… hanging out." His face turned red.

"Yosuke, why are you acting like this around me?" I asked. "It's not like you act like this around other girls…." He shrugged.

"I dunno," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "You're… different."

"Well," I said. "Thanks for the offer." He nodded. We continued talking. After a while Yosuke gave me a Cough Drop.

"Well, see ya!" he yelled as he ran off. I waved to him and went home.

*The second choice was, "Be an ass and leave." When I saw that I laughed my ass off. XD

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woo! Another chapter! I don't know why I wanted Yosuke to be so... uh... self-conscious or whatever around Misaki. Oh well! He's gonna act like that around Misaki until... he gets comfortable around her. :D**


	13. Hangin' Out With Yosuke

**Wednesday, 4/20 (Early Morning)**

Yosuke ran up to me on the way to school. He asked me if I tried touching the screen while the Midnight Channel was on. I nodded.

"Ooh, ahead of the game!" he exclaimed. "No wonder you're our leader!" He continued to say that his idea of jumping directly to Yukiko won't work because all of the televisions can be used to see the Midnight Channel, or something like that.

**(Afternoon)**

A dull teacher with a puppet on one hand was lecturing us. His name was Mr. Hosoi.

"Now then," he said. "How many parts are there to Murakami's 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'?" He scanned the room. "Hana-chan! I get the feeling you're not much of a reader!"

Yosuke looked at me hopefully. I sighed and whispered, "Three." He repeated my answer, and got a praise in return.

"Thanks!" he whispered. "You're a life-saver, Misaki!" I nodded and turned back around and faced the front.

**(Afterschool)**

I went to the bookstore and bought "The Lovely Man", "Expert Study Methods", and "Beginner Fishing". After that, I went to Daidara's and sold the items that the Shadows dropped. Then I went to the Shrine, just to walk around.

The boy I had given the Dr. Salt NEO to said he wanted The Natural. I quickly went and bought another one and came back. I gave it to him.

"What? You're giving me another one? Really?" he exclaimed. "Then, uh, I gotta give you something, too…." He rummaged through his pocket and gave me a Tatsuhime Ladybug. "Thank you very much!" he thanked. I nodded wordlessly and went back to school.

"Hey Yosuke!" I called after checking to make sure I had a Magician Persona.

"Oh! Hey," he said as I walked up to him.

"Wanna hang out today?" I asked.

"Sure!" he replied happily.

We went to Souzai Daigaku. He ordered some steak croquettes for both of us. We sat down at the table and ate them. They're really tough….

"Sticking chunks of steak in croquettes... Man this really is the country, huh?" Yosuke remarked and laughed. "Well, it's good… though it's tough." I nodded my agreement. "Dude, Chie called this stuff 'tender and juicy'…. What kinda teeth does she have?"

"Tell me about it," I said, biting into my croquette. Two housewives passed by us and stopped, gossiping.

"He's from Junes…. Yasogami High School, right?" one murmured.

"His classmate…. Sato-san? Went out of business," her friend said.

"This shopping district could disappear, and yet…," the first woman whispered. They continued talking.

"Sorry about that," said Yosuke. "You know me, I'm infamous around here." I looked at him in awe and wonder.

"It must be tough, with all of these people gossiping about this," I said. "How can you handle it?" He chuckled, brushing the air at his side.

"Nahhh, it's not really that tough," he muttered. "It's mainly my parents. I'm not personally involved. Anyway, there's nothing I can do about it." He shrugged. "I don't think there's anyone in this town who doesn't know me…. Not that I mind, but…. It sucks that I always gotta mind my manners." He gave me a huge grin. Then his face turned from cheerful to surprise.

"Dude, Jiraiya just learned Trafuri!" he announced. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"Good for you!" I said.

We ate and talked for a bit before heading home.

**(Evening)**

I dropped off some stuff at the house before heading out again.

I walked around the shopping district and saw Chie.

"Hey! Wassup?" I asked, jogging to her.

"Oh! Perfect timing!" she said. "Hey, do you mind if we talk for a bit? I get all anxious when I'm back home."

"That's what I'm here for," I replied.

"Alright!" she cried, fist pumping. "Uh…." She rubbed her chin, apparently searching for a subject to talk about. "I bet you don't know much about this place, seeing as how you just transferred and all. There's not much to know, really. The only thing I can think of is, um… how much nature we have here? But the people are really nice! Like, if you lose your wallet, it'll definitely come back to you!"

"Woah, seriously?" I exclaimed, surprised.

"Yeah! And if you're ever in a fix, you can always count on me," she said.

"So, uh…. Where do you like to eat?" I asked.

"I recommend Aiya and Souzai Daigaku," she replied. "Aiya's steak bowls are delicious and Souzai Daigaku's steak skewers are great too! Honestly, I'd recommend steak no matter where in Japan I was."

"Man, you just love steak, huh?" I laughed.

"Yeah! So what?" she said. We both burst out laughing for some reason. We continued talking for a bit before we had to leave.

"Oh yeah, I want you to have this!" she said, handing me a Corn Potage Cracker. "I gotta go." She ran off before I could say "Thank you." I sighed, and walked back home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It's a really short chapter this time because the next one's gonna be hella long (you'll find out why :D). Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and please leave so critiques! :D**


	14. Yukiko's Shadow

**Thursday, 4/21 (Early Morning)**

I walked to school with Yosuke under the rain. He said that it's gonna be sunny for a while, so we don't have to worry about the fog. He said that the fog always sets in the morning after it's rained for a few days. I kept that in mind.

**(Lunchtime)**

I walked down the stairs as Kou walked up to me. He reminded me to go to practice before he walked down the hall.

**(After School)**

The boy at the shrine wanted a Steak Skewer, so I gave him some. In return, I got a Tatsuhime Ladybug. After that, I went to Junes and called everyone up. After everyone had arrived, we jumped into the T.V.

I looked up at the castle and sighed._ Welp. Let's do this._

Teddie gave me three Goho-Ms. After that, I called Yosuke and Chie and we ran in.

A Shadow jumped at us from behind, surprising us. I quickly turned around, sword drawn, to find two Shadows. Both of them were weird purple fish things. One of them attacked me. I parried it and slashed at it, but missed. I jumped back as the fish thingy tried to tackle me, and hit it as hard as I could, leaving a long, deep gash on its back. The Shadow staggered and slapped me with its fish tail. I stumbled back a bit, and rushed in, slicing it into pieces. The Shadow disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Yosuke had already defeated the other one, much to my delight. We high-fived, not noticing Chie's pout.

"Why don't you let me fight them?" she demanded, stomping her foot.

"Oh. Sorry," I said, giving her an apologetic smile. "C'mon, let's go."

We found the stairs and went up, but not before we fought a bunch of Shadows and found some stuff in chests.

The second floor still had that huge double door. I walked up to it as Teddie yelled, "I sense someone behind the door!" I paused, my hand on the door. Then I gritted my teeth and pushed it open. The four of us ran in.

"Yukiko?" asked Chie. The girl in front of us had a big, pink dress, and… basically she looked like a princess. She had a dark aura around her.

"Yukiko-san! Are you alright?" Yosuke cried. I glanced at him and Chie._ Do they seriously not see the FRIKIN' dark aura around her!? What the hell!?_

"Yukiko, what's wrong?" Chie asked. The spotlights turned on and pointed at the princess. She laughed and turned around, her golden eyes gleaming evilly. She was holding a microphone for some reason.

"Oh my! Special guests!" the Shadow said with a creepy smile on her face. "I wonder how they'll play into all this! Things are really heating up! Okie-dokie! I'm going back to hunt for my Prince Charming! Oh, where could he be? This place is huge! It's soooo exciting, but it makes it hard to find him. Oh! Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog! Ready or not, here I come! Let's go further in then, shall we?" Words popped up out of nowhere above the Shadow's head.

"Princess Yukiko's Hunt for her Prince Charming!" it read.

"What the hell is this!?" Yosuke yelled, backing up.

"You're not Yukiko!" Chie shouted. I sighed.

_ Oh really?_ I thought sarcastically._ I never knew that._

"Who are you?" she yelled. Shadow Yukiko laughed.

"What're you talking about?" she asked. "I'm Yukiko… and Yukiko is me."

"No!" Chie yelled, stepping forward. Then her eyes widened. "Don't tell me, are you—!?"

"You never realized…?" I muttered, bring my palm to my face.

"Where's the real Yukiko!?" Chie demanded, ignoring me. Then some voices sounded out of nowhere.

"What's with these voices?" Yosuke asked.

"The Shadows are getting agitated!" Teddie yelled, cowering behind us.

"Well, I'm off again!" Shadow Yukiko said. "You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear Prince!" She skipped away.

"Hey, wait!" Chie cried, running after her. She stopped and turned around. "That clearly wasn't the real Yukiko. It had to be…."

"Dude, you seriously never realized?" I muttered. "You guys are_ so_ observant." My party members glared at me.

"Well, it must've been her other self," Teddie said quickly.

"So it's just like what happened to us," said Yosuke.

"But I don't think she was excited for nothing," Teddie muttered. "The real Yukiko wants to show us something. I can feel it. It's hard to explain…. It seems like she has a strong connection to this castle. This is a lot more dangerous than I thought!"

"Yukiko!" Chie cried as she ran to the other side of the room.

"Hey wait!" I yelled as I ran to her and grabbed her arm. I pulled her back and spun her around so that she was facing me. "Don't go alone," I said coolly. She nodded rapidly, and I released her. We moved on.

On the fifth floor, something odd happened. We ran forward, towards a door when there was a blinding flash of light. It disappeared. I glanced around and realized we were in a different corner. I ran forward again, towards another door, and got teleported to a different corner again. Then, I decided to go backwards. That worked well enough… for a bit.

We reached a door. So I tried to push it open, but it won't budge.

"D'you think we need a key?" Yosuke asked, trying to push the door open without success. I sighed heavily.

"I guess so…." So we continued running.

I found out that this area was a square, so even if we run backwards we can open one door without being teleported. Eventually, we'd be running forward again, towards another door, and get teleported elsewhere. Of course, we'd fight Shadows on the way to all the doors, but that's not a huge deal.

We eventually reached a door. Teddie warned us that there's someone inside. I unsheathed my sword and pushed the door open.

We found Shadow Yukiko inside accompanied by a huge knight on a floating steed with no legs. Shadow Yukiko chuckled.

"My Prince wouldn't lose to guards such as this, correct?" she said. The night charged at us as the "princess" ran out of the room. Teddie stayed near the doorway and shouted encouragements. I rolled to the side and summoned Izanagi. Yosuke was using Jiraiya, blasting gusts of wind at the Shadow. Meanwhile, I used Rakunda. Chie summoned Tomoe and slashed at it with her naginata repeatedly. I charged in and found myself in a sword fight with the knight. I parried its attacks and slashed at it, only to have my attacks blocked. I jumped back, but not far enough. The Shadow drove its sword at me, grazing the side of my head. I stumbled back, slightly dazed.

"Whoa-ho-ho," I exclaimed, summoning Izanagi. "Almost died there!"

"You okay there, Misaki?" called Chie as she ducked under the Shadow's sword and kicked it.

"Y-yeah," I replied, using Zio. The Shadow recoiled, giving us an opening. I charged in, slashing at the Shadow. A few seconds of attacking it later, it forced us back somehow. I changed Personas and summoned Sandman. Then I used Pulinpa (a spell that makes an enemy panic) on the Shadow…. And it worked! Wow! It cowered in fear. I smirked at the Shadow and tried to catch my breath. Chie and Yosuke charged at the Shadow and beat it up. A few minutes later, it was defeated.

"Great job, guys!" I praised, high-fiving them.

"Hell yeah!" Yosuke shouted. "Boss defeated!"

"C'mon! Let's go!" Chie shouted, beckoning us over to her. I glanced around to see if we missed anything and saw something shiny on the ground. I picked it up. It looked like a glass key. I pocketed it and ran to join the others.

We were back at the locked door. I took out the glass key I had found and inserted it into the keyhole on the door. It unlocked, and I pushed it open, revealing the stairs.

"Woo!" I yelled, running up it.

On the next floor, we saw a golden Shadow in the shape of a hand. A GOLDEN Shadow! I glanced at my party members excitedly and ran towards it. It noticed us, but instead of attacking us, it ran away.

"Hey get back here!" Yosuke yelled, chasing after it. I ran after him, Chie at my heels. After a few seconds, Yosuke attacked the Shadow and a puff of black smoke glittering with a bit of gold erupted from it. The smoke cleared and revealed three golden Shadows.

I slashed at one and missed. The Shadow hit me hard, and I stumbled back. I ran towards it and attacked nonstop. It broke away a few minutes later, but not before I put a few deep gashes into it. I ran after it and struck my sword on its head, and it disappeared in a puff of glittering smoke.

Chie kicked at one, but missed. It ran away. She stomped her foot angrily, cursing.

Yosuke was luckier. Jiraiya attacked the Shadow until it disappeared in a puff of smoke. He shook out his hair, grinning as if he had won the lottery.

Suddenly, cards appeared before my eyes._ Another Shuffle Time, huh?_ I chose to get a chest key. The cards disappeared, and I glanced around.

I found a bag on the floor and picked it up. Yosuke, Teddie, and Chie crowded around me and forced me to open it. We stared into the bag. The inside was filled with money. Like… a LOT of money.

"Woah!" Chie yelled, taking out a coin. She studied it closely. "Looks real to me," she remarked, putting it back.

"Dude!" Yosuke exclaimed. "Did we get rich!? Did we, did we!?" I turned away from them, hiding the bag.

"Uh anyway," I said, closing the bag. "Let's get going."

We continued through the floors, opening treasure chests, fighting Shadows, getting Shuffle Times (well… that's me).

We reached the last floor._ FINALLY!_ I wearily pushed the door open.

"Yukiko!" Chie shouted. We found Yukiko kneeling on the floor. Her Shadow was on top of the steps.

"I knew it! There's two of her!" Yosuke whispered loudly.

"No duh!" I said, unsheathing my sword.

"Oh? Ooooh, what's this?" Shadow Yukiko asked, a taunting smile on her face. "Three princes are here to see me? My, my! Are you the surprise guests who came in late? Aw…. I wish I'd gotten a better look at you! My, it's getting crowded her. Why don't you and I go somewhere else? A land far, far away, where no one knows me. If you're my Prince, you'd take my there, won't you? C'mon… pretty please?"

"Oh," Teddie whispered. "Is this 'scoring a hot stud'?" I ignored him, and apparently, so did everyone else.

"Three princes?" Chie asked. "Wait, does that include me, too?"

"Duh! The third one's gotta be me!" Teddie said.

"Dude, you're not gonna be a prince any time soon," I muttered. "Nor will you ever be."

"Chie," Shadow Yukiko sighed happily. "Yes, she's my Prince. She always leads the way. She's a strong prince. Or at least she_ was_."

"Was?" Chie muttered.

"When it comes down to it, Chie's just not good enough!" the Shadow continued angrily. "She can't take me away from here! She can't save me!"

"Yukiko…," Chie said.

"Stop," Yukiko shouted weakly, standing up.

"Historic inn? Manager training? I'm sick of all these things chaining me down!" Shadow Yukiko yelled. "I never asked to be born here! Everything's decided for me! From how I live, to where I die! I'm of sick of it! To hell with it all!"

"That's not true…," Yukiko muttered.

"I just want to go somewhere far away. Anywhere but here," Shadow Yukiko said in a mocking voice. "Someone, please take me away. I can't leave here on my own. I'm completely useless."

"Stop… please stop…," Yukiko said weakly.

"I have no hope if I stay, and no courage to leave," Shadow Yukiko taunted. "So I sit on my ass hoping that someday my Prince will come! I don't care where we go! Anywhere's fine! As long as it's not here, I don't give a damn! Historical tradition? Pride of the town? What a bunch of bulls***!"

"How dare you?" Yukiko demanded wearily.

"That's how I really feel," Shadow Yukiko said flatly, a smile on her face. "Isn't that right… me!?"

"No!" Yukiko shouted.

"Stop! Don't say it!" Yosuke yelled.

"No! You're not me!" Yukiko screamed. Shadow Yukiko laughed evilly as dark shadow stuff flowed into her.

"This feels wonderful!" she exclaimed. "It's building… more and more…. If this keeps up… I'll… I'll…!" She laughed and black smoke enveloped her. It disappeared and she dropped down from the ceiling on a chandelier in the form of a weird, red bird.

"Let's do this!" I yelled. We charged at her, summoning our Personas as Teddie ushered Yukiko to move out of the way.

I used Rakunda on her and ran around her, trying to find on opening. Yosuke's Persona slashed at her, but she closed herself inside the cage and blocked his attacks. Chie used Bufu (a single-target ice spell) on the Shadow and she fell out of her cage. The three of us charged in and attacked her. We jumped back as the Shadow flew up to her cage.

"What? Are you trying to make me mad!?" she demanded as she used White Wall (a spell that protects someone from being knocked down by ice spells). I gritted my teeth and changed my Persona to Sandman. Then I used Pulinpa, which didn't work, unfortunately. Yosuke used Garu over and over again, which did some damage, but not much. Chie continued to use Bufu, but it didn't knock Shadow Yukiko down. So she used Rampage (a spell that deals like physical damage to all enemies one to three times) instead. It missed, unfortunately. Shadow Yukiko used Agi (a fire spell) on me. I felt the burning sensation and rolled out of the way just in time. Then she used it on Chie, which knocked her down. She laughed.

"We're not done yet!" she said. "Let's see this strength of yours. Come, my Prince!" Three spotlights shined on a spot next to her on the floor. A puff of white smoke appeared and cleared, showing a weird prince thingamajig.

I ran to the prince thing and attacked. It blocked my attacks and hit me. I winced, giving it an opening. It attacked me again. I managed to parry it and slashed at it repeatedly, giving it no chances to hit me or move. After about inflicting about a thousand cuts on the thing, it ran away.

"What!?" Shadow Yukiko cried. "How can this be!?" She tried to summon it again, but it didn't come out. She screamed and used Agi on us repeatedly. It hit Chie a few times, knocking her down. Yosuke and I charged at the Shadow, using our Personas to attack her, since we can't reach her ourselves.

"Izanagi!" I yelled, changing Personas. He appeared and attacked the bird. Jiraiya attacked her as well, using Garu repeatedly. Out of nowhere, Chie's Persona Tomoe grabbed Shadow Yukiko out of her and kicked her. Hard. The Shadow flew up to the ceiling and exploded. After a few moments, she fell down in her human form, looking beat-up. We sprinted to Yukiko, as tired as we were.

"Yukiko!" Chie yelled.

"Are you all right?" I asked as she stood up.

"No… I'm not…," she muttered, glaring at her Shadow. For a moment I thought she was saying that she was_ not_ okay, but I realized that she was saying that the Shadow's not her.

"We understand," Yosuke said. "You're not the only one like that, Yukiko-san. Everyone has something they can't show to other people, or don't want to admit to themselves."

"Yukiko… I'm sorry," Chie said, her voice shaking. "I was so self-centered that… I never understood what you were going through. I'm your friend… and I still…. I'm so sorry…." She wiped her eyes.

"Chie…," Yukiko muttered.

"I was always jealous of you, Yukiko," admitted Chie, tears falling down her eyes. "You had everything that I didn't…. That jealously was like a wall, and I was so lonely…. I wanted you to need me…. But it was me who needed you. I can't do anything right on my own…. I've cause so much trouble for Yosuke and the others. If you weren't by my side…. I wouldn't know what to do…." She wiped her eyes again.

"Chie…," Yukiko said. "I never saw the real you either…. I was too busy trying to find an easy way out." She walked shakily to her Shadow. "'I want to run away'... 'I want someone to save me'…. You're right," she admitted. "Those feelings are part of me, too. I understand now. You're me." Her Shadow nodded and turned into a Persona. The Persona was wearing a pink shirt and white skirt. She had a pink flower thingy attached to her wrists and extend all the way around her back. She had a pink mask on, and flowers on both sides of her head. The Persona disappeared and Yukiko fell to her knees.

"Yukiko!" Chie yelled as we all ran to her.

"Are you okay?" Yosuke asked worriedly.

"Yes. I'm just a little tired," Yukiko replied. "You all came to rescue me…?"

"Of course!" Chie replied cheerfully.

"Thank you."

"Don't even mention it. I'm just so glad you're safe!" Chie's voice cracked.

"Heh heh… right on!" Yosuke agreed.

"So, who threw you in here?" Teddie inquired.

"Huh? Who are you?" she asked. "Rather, what are you?"

"I'm Teddie!" he said. "So who threw you in?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" I muttered.

"I don't know," she replied. "I think someone called my name…. But my memory's a blur. I can't remember who it was. I'm sorry, um… Teddie."

"No new clues," he said sadly.

"Not necessarily," Yosuke said. "Now we know for sure that someone threw Yukiko-san in here."

"Then it wasn't really you guys," Teddie murmured.

"What!?" I exclaimed. "You still suspected us!? Hmph. You satisfied now?"

"I-I always believed it wasn't you guys!" he said unconvincingly.

"You liar," I said curtly.

"Anyways, let's hurry back home," Chie interrupted. "Yukiko looks exhausted. Thanks again, Teddie!" Yukiko stood up. Chie threw Yukiko's arm over her shoulder and we started walking out.

"Wait, you're leaving me here!?" Teddie exclaimed.

"Leaving you?" Yosuke asked. "What're you talking about? You live here. Well… yeah, but…."

"I'm sorry Teddie." Yukiko said, patting him on his head. "I promise to come again. So be a good boy and wait here until then." Teddie growled affectionately.

"My, it's getting crowded here. Why don't you and I go somewhere else…?" he asked. That sounded familiar…. Wait. I glared at him. That was Shadow Yukiko's line. "C'mon… pretty please?" he pleaded.

"You're giving me the creeps!" Yosuke yelled. "That's it, you're stuck here for the rest of your life!" On that note, we went out.

We were at the food court in Junes.

"Yukiko, are you all right?" Chie asked. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"No…. I'm just a little tired," Yukiko replied.

"Do you remember anything?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, but… I don't remember anything," was the reply.

"Well, no worries! You're safe, and that's more than enough," Chie said.

"But there's no mistake that Yukiko-san was… um…," Yosuke said. "Attacked the same way as the last two victims. And it think the one we saw on the Midnight Channel wasn't the real Yukiko-san, but her Shadow. Maybe the things Yukiko-san was suppressing in this world took form in the T.V."

"You know, Teddie was saying something like that," Chie said. Yosuke sighed heavily.

"It's no use," he muttered. "I'm just going round and round in circles…. What kind of person could be doing this?"

"Let's call it day," I said. "We're all tired, and we can't think straight. Besides, Yukiko should get some rest."

"Yeah," Chie agreed. "We can go over it some other day. Yukiko really needs to get some rest. I'll take her home."

"Oh, that's right…. Sorry," Yosuke said. "Yukiko-san must be exhausted." The two of them left.

"We'll talk about all this some more once more once she gets her strength back," he muttered.

"Yeah," I said. We said good-bye and went home.

**(Evening)**

Dojima came in the house with another guy. Possibly his friend.

"Um… hello…," Nanako muttered.

"Hi there," the detective greeted.

"We got off work at the same time, so I'm giving him a ride back to his place," Dojima explained. "I thought we might as well swing by."

"Nice to meet ya," the detective said. "I'm Adachi, the guy who's been your dad's slave since spring."

"I can still work you harder, you know," Dojima said.

"Haha, good one, Sir! Ha… ha…," Adachi muttered. "Oh I almost forgot! You're friends with Yukiko Amagi, right? They found her safe and sound! Tell all your friends at school!"

"Really!?" I exclaimed as if I didn't know that already. "That's a relief…."

"Yeah, for us on the force, too," he replied. "But this doesn't mean the case is closed, though. We were just questioning Ms. Amagi, but she says she doesn't remember anything that happened while she was missing. And we can't figure out her whereabouts during the missing period, either. It's like she really disappeared. It's all pretty fishy, if you ask me. Like there's something else going on…." Dojima cuffed him. "Ow!"

"Stop blabbering, dumbass!" Dojima yelled.

"Sorry," Adachi apologized.

"Ignore him. He's just spouting some wild fantasy," Dojima told me.

"Um… okay then," I said.

"Yeah, don't give it a second thought," he said. "Sheesh, he's a real pain sometimes."

"I'm hungry," complained Nanako. And so, we all ate dinner together.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! Another chapter! *sigh* So much typing... Y'know, my friend wanted me to put a lemon in it. I'm not doing it. Or maybe I WILL put a lemon in it... Look out for it! It might be something that you wouldn't expect! XD**


	15. A Little Bit About My Past

**Friday, 4/22 (Lunchtime)**

Yosuke walked up to me and suggested that we hang out after school before walking away.

**(After School)**

I went to Daidara's and sold the stuff I got from the Shadows. Then I went to the vending machine in front of the Shiroku Store and bought an Orange Smash. After that, I went to the shrine and gave the boy the drink. In return, I got a Tatsuhime Ladybug again. I sighed._ Is this all that he has…?_

Then I went to school and checked to see if I had a Magician Persona. Then I talked to Yosuke.

"Sup," I greeted, giving him a small wave.

"Oh, hey," he said. "Wanna go somewhere?" I nodded. He took me to Okina City.

"Man, it's been a while since I breathed this kinda air," he said, breathing deeply.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Y'know, I'm just a poor little city boy drawn to that urban scent," he said. "Wait a minute…. Am I starting to sound like Teddie?" I pretended to study him.

"Well… you're looking a bit hairier," I said in a helpful tone and gave him a wide smile.

"Now that you mention it, the foam in my facial soap this morning had…!" he exclaimed. "Hey, you're making me scare myself!" I burst out laughing, and so did Yosuke.

"Well, that aside, what should we—" he began. His phone beeped, and he flipped open his phone and sighed.

"It's just a text message," he explained. "More spam…" He put his phone away. "Looks like someone got my address. I get a lot of spam."

"Why don't you just block them?" I suggested.

"Even if I do, they change domains, so there's no point. And I don't wanna change my address." He sighed. "I haven't changed addresses since before we moved to Inaba. I mean, I might get a text from someone. It's hard to call, y'know? If I called people just to tell them my number got changed, they'd get annoyed."

"I won't," I said, stretching my arms. He chuckled.

"Some of them never planned to text me anyway," he muttered. "Oh but hey, don't look at me like I don't have any friends!"

"Of course you have friends," I said, giving him a smile. "You have one right here." I pointed to my chest with my thumb.

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding. "Though to tell you the truth, I don't remember what we all used to talk about can't really call 'em friends."

"I never had many friends back at my old school," I said, looking up at the sky. I could feel Yosuke's eyes on mine. "It's pretty lonely. They never talk to me much, and the only time they do is when there's no one else to talk to." I looked down at the floor and smiled thinly.

"R-really?" he asked. "Oh…. I never knew. I thought you were pretty popular back at your old school." I chuckled.

"Nah," I said. "But I feel pretty happy to have at least one friend that actually talks to me." I slung my arm over Yosuke's shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. He laughed and gave me a thumbs up as well.

"Well, I'm counting on you!" he almost yelled.

"I'll be counting you, too," I replied, giving him a wide grin.

We went back home.

**(Evening)**

Dojima wasn't home today. I dropped some stuff down, then was about to head out when I spotted a lemon on the counter in the kitchen. I stared at it, a memory popping out of the depths of my mind..

_ "Drink it!" my grandmother ordered, shoving the half-full cup in my face. "It's good for you!" I leaned away from the concoction and glanced at her anxiously._

_ "I don't want to drink it!" I whined, pushing the cup away from my face._

_ "No!" she shouted. "It's good for you!" She continued to shove the drink in my face until I took cup. I stared at the liquid. It reeked of lemon. I sighed deeply and took a sip. Immediately, I set down the cup and coughed. My throat felt super dry, and all that I tasted was sour stuff._

_ I glanced at my grandmother with nervous eyes, and saw her glaring at me. I sighed again and painfully drank the concoction._

_ After I was done she took the cup and exclaimed, "I just drank a full cup, so you better not be whining about a half-full cup of lemon tea!" I thought about drinking a full cup of that "lemon tea" and shuddered._

I smiled, glad that I don't have to go through all that here in Inaba, then went out.

I went to the Shiroku Pub, cause I heard that the place traded gemstones or whatever. I did collect some gems from the Shadows that we defeated.

I stepped in and checked out the stuff that the lady had. She wore a red dress, which did not suit her one bit, since she was fairly big. She had lipstick and some reddish eyeliner on. I tried not to stare at her.

I stared at the things that she could make, thinking,_ You need so many gems…._

"Would you care to listen to my troubles?" she asked me.

"Uh… sure?" I answered uncertainly.

"I have a little one, named Akihiko," she said. "Lately, it seems no matter what food I offer him, he refuses to eat. Is it because I have a night job? Or could it be that he's realized that I'm not his real mother?"

_I think he knew that you're not his real mother a long time ago…,_ I muttered to myself. Luckily, she didn't hear me.

"I'm so worried lately that I can't even sleep at night…," she continued.

_Wow,_ I thought,_ she must really love her fish._

Suddenly, the fish in the tank swam around lively.

"Akihiko, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly, moving towards the tank. "It seems he wants to eat the Tatsuhime Ladybug you have." I stared at her._ She can tell what her fish is saying!?_

"Please! Won't you let my little one eat that bug?" she pleaded, looking at me with puppy eyes. "He won't eat the Bread Crumbs I give him. At this rate he'll…. Please! My little one is the only emotional support I have! I'm begging you!"

I fished through my pocket and brought out the ladybug. I handed her the bug.

"Thank you," she said. "You're so kind..." She turned to her beloved fish. "Now here's your dinner, Akihiko." She dropped the ladybug into the fish tank. My eyes widened as something came out of the fish's mouth as it was eating.

"My god, this is a fishhook!" she exclaimed. "Akihiko, where did you eat something like this!? So my boy had a fishhook stuck in his throat. That's why he seemed so down. Thank goodness. I'm sure he'll get better now. Thank you so much."

"No problem," I said and grinned, glad that the fish is gonna be okay.

"Do you want some bread crumbs?" she offered after her fish denied them.

"Uh… sure?" I said as she handed me the crumbs. After that, I left and went back home.

I changed into my pajamas and picked up "Beginner's Fishing." I plopped onto the sofa and opened the book.

It talked about patience and diligence. Looks like willpower is very important for a fisherman….

After reading for a while, I put the book away and went to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Here's the promised lemon! XD Well I have a question for you guys. Do you want the chapters to contain one day? Or do you want them to have more than one day?**


	16. Basketball Practice

**Saturday, 4/23 (Early Morning)**

I strolled to school behind two gossiping girls.

"Hey, did you hear?" said one girl. "There are part-time job listings on the town bulletin board now! I wish there was one that would let me make some quick cash…."

The girls continued to chat the whole way to school. I tried not to yawn too loudly behind them.

**(Morning)**

I leaned against the back of my chair, trying to stay awake. Ms. Sofue was talking about economic stuff. This was the type of history I was not interested in.

"… Wake up!" she called. I immediately sat up in my chair, thinking that she called on me. I glanced at her and realized she was talking to Yosuke.

"What was the first economic bubble incident in the world?" she asked. Yosuke looked at me frantically.

"Help me out, here!" he whispered.

"Well…," I murmured, "I heard her mention something about a tulip mania thing…." He repeated my answer.

"Yes, it was the tulip mania," Ms. Sofue replied. Yosuke sighed in relief and leaned forward.

"Thanks, Misaki," he whispered. I nodded and faced forward and tried to look alert, not wanting to be in the same boat as Yosuke.

**(After School)**

The boy at the shrine wanted a Second Maid, so I went and bought him some. In return, he gave me some more Tatsuhime Ladybugs. I sighed.

_Is that the only thing that he has?_ I wondered.

Then I strolled to the town bulletin board and studied the job listings. I decided to take the envelope constructor and the assistant day care caretaker.

After that, I jogged to the river. I looked around and walked onto the dock and squatted, gazing at the glistening water.

"Hey, girl!" a voice called. I looked over my shoulder and spotted a bent-over old man with white hair.

"Uh, yeah?" I asked, standing up and walking to him.

"I have a fishing rod… uh...," he muttered. "I feel bad for asking… but do you happen to have a fish hook?"

"Yeah," I said, reaching into my pocket. I brought it out and handed the hook to him.

"My! You're willing to give that to a total stranger like me? I'm much obliged," he said. "I need to thank you somehow…."

"It's all right," I chuckled. "I don't need that hook anyway."

"Oh! I know!" he exclaimed. "Do you fish?"

"Not really," I replied uneasily. Ignoring me, he put the hook onto the rod and gave it to me.

"I-it's fine, really…," I protested, waving my hands in front of me and backing away.

"No! I insist," the old man said, shoving the rod into my hands. "It's old and this was a good opportunity, so I'm going to give it up. I was planning on buying a new rod anyway. This is to show my gratitude. Use it however you want."

"U-uh… thanks," I replied, staring at the newly obtained fishing rod.

I decided to go home and drop this off.

"Hey!" Kou greeted as I walked up to him on the second floor of school. "Wanna go to practice together?"

"Yeah," I answered, making sure I had a Strength Persona. We walked to the basketball court.

We worked on dribbles for a while. I ran across the court, dribbling with my right hand, then came back, dribbling with my left hand. The ball ran away from me a few times.

"Man, I suck…," I groaned. Kou jogged next to me, dribbling expertly.

"It's all right," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

We practiced for half an hour before working on shooting hoops. I stood in the key close to the hoop and shot the ball. It flew over the hoop, and I groaned.

"I suck so much…," I muttered, retrieving the ball.

"Well, you're better than the other guys," laughed Kou. I gave him a small smile and continued to practice. "You need to work on your form…," he explained.

He taught me how to shoot the ball as the other guys on the team gawked at us… or, rather, me.

"Man, I'm hungry," he moaned when practice was over. I nodded in agreement. "Aiya, or Junes? You decide."

"Uh… I dunno. Aiya, I guess," I replied.

"You really know what's up! Their Hui Gou Rou is awesome!" exclaimed Kou. Daisuke ran up to us.

"Hey Kou, hurry up," he said.

"The soccer team's done already? You guys are fast, man," Kou said. "Don't you have cleaning up to do?"

"Yeah, but I don't have to do that stuff," Daisuke replied, chuckling. "Oh yeah, this girl in my class was looking for you. She made something for you in home ec. She said, 'Kou-chan loves sweets,' or something like that."

"Well… I do like me some sweets…," Kou muttered.

"Got a girlfriend, huh?" I joked. "If I were a guy, I'd be jealous."

"No no, we're just friends!" he laughed. "I don't mind the sweets and all that, but I wish she'd stop calling me 'Kou-chan.' I swear, the more girls I tell not to call me that, the more they seem to enjoy it."

"Well, they to annoy guys," I explained jokingly. He laughed.

"Well that explains it," he said, then sighed. "I hate my name. 'Kou.' It's such a crappy name…."

"Well? What're you gonna do?" Daisuke asked.

"I guess I'll go pick 'em up," he replied with a small smirk. "You like sweets, Misaki-chan? Want me to get you some, too?"

"Huh? Uh, no thanks," I answered.

"Dude, a guy offered you some candy. You're supposed to say yes," Daisuke said, sighing. I shrugged.

"I guess I don't like taking other people's food," I explained nonchalantly.

"Hey, no big deal. It's just candy, right? It's not like there's some kind of deeper meaning to it," Kou said, shrugging. "I just figured if Misaki liked sweet stuff, I'd offer her some."

"You startin' to like her?" Daisuke asked teasingly. Kou punched him.

"Shut up," he ordered, a smile on his face.

We ate at Aiya after Kou picked up his candies, then went home.

**(Evening)**

I walked to my room and changed into my pajamas. I settled in my couch and opened "Beginner Fishing." I read a few chapters before going to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the short chapter. I'm kinda busy right now (y'know, projects and stuff). But I'll try to make the next one extra long to make up for this one. Hoped you guys enjoyed this one! :)**


	17. Joinin' a Cultural Club

**Sunday, 4/24 (Daytime)**

I turned off the T.V and sighed, feeling bored.

Suddenly my phone rang. I jumped, then frantically answered the phone.

"H-hello?" I stammered. I was never good at talking to people over the phone. My grandma had always yelled at me about that.

"Um, hey, this is Kou," the person on the other side said. "If you're bored, let's hang out. I'll call up Daisuke, too. How's that sound?"

I hesitated. I need to work on my other Social Links….

"Sorry," I answered. "I'm kinda busy today."

"Oh, okay… Another time, then. Later." He hung up. I slipped my phone into my pocket and glanced at my study table, where my neglected iPod sat. I grabbed it, then turned it on. I scrolled through my list of songs.

_Heartbeat, Heartbreak; Signs of Love, Your Affection, Deduction, Glimpse of a Memory, When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars…_

I kept scrolling down the list, looking for a good song. Finally, I chose "Your Affection," put on my ear buds, and pressed the "play" button.

_Withered flowers forget what they wept for day after day,_

_Withered flowers blossom in the stream of tears, they still think of the cause…_

I nodded my head to the music as I went out.

The boy at the shrine was always thirsty…. This time he wanted a TaP Soda. He gave more Ladybugs.

_Is this seriously all that he has…?_ I wondered, walking out of the shrine.

I wandered around town, and soon found myself in front of Junes. Shrugging, I stepped inside.

"Oh! Hey Misaki!" someone called. I whipped around and found a smiling Yosuke in front of me.

"Hey Yosuke," I greeted, turning my music down.

"You wanna go somewhere?" he asked.

"Eh. Sure," I answered indifferently.

"All right! Let's go!" He took me to the Junes food court.

"This is the 'somewhere'?" I muttered, scrolling through my list of music.

"I'll show you the place after we're done eating," he said, biting into his snack. I chose to listen to "Like a Dream Come True."

"Oh there you are, Hanamura!" a girl called. Yosuke sighed as two girls sashayed to him. Yosuke stood up.

"Hello there, Senpai. What's wrong today?" he asked politely. I studied the girls. They looked like b****s. I did not want to deal with them.

The girl in a yellow blouse glared at him. "You better say something to that blockhead manager! I told him I can't come in on Saturdays or Sundays!" she whined. "But he's saying I have to be here since we're low on staff. And if I don't he'll fire me!"

"Isn't there some kinda law against that?" the girl in a red shirt scoffed. I glared at them. Luckily, they didn't notice me.

"Didn't you guys say you could work weekends during your interview?" Yosuke asked.

"Well yeah!" the girl in yellow shouted, stomping her foot. "They wouldn't hire us if we didn't!" I sighed.

"Why'd you take the job…?" I muttered under my breath. "You could've been making envelops or something…."

"Alright, I got it," sighed Yosuke. "I'll try talking with him. But you don't want to get fired, right? It'd make it easier for me to strike a deal if you could show up every now and then on weekends."

"We'll think about it," the girl in yellow said curtly. _Oh god…._

"You'd better do it, 'kay?" the girl in red said. On that note, they sashayed away.

"Oh, Yosuke-kun," a woman called. "Just the man I was looking for." A young woman came up to him.

"Oh… hi," greeted Yosuke uneasily.

"Hear my out! Remember that claim I had the other day? Well, the head butcher said…" she complained loudly.

"All right, all right," Yosuke interrupted. "Let's talk over here." He turned to me and said, "Sorry, Misaki. Could you give me a minute?" I nodded, and he and the lady moved farther away. He came back a few minutes later.

"Man, I'm beat… I'm not the complaints department…" he sighed.

"You're incredible…" I said.

"Huh? Dude, it's nothing but trouble!" he chuckled

"I wouldn't be able to handle them," I said. He smiled sheepishly and looked at the table.

"Everyone's trying to take advantage of me as the Junes kid. Maybe I wouldn't mind if I was free, but we have murders to deal with. I don't have time for this," he muttered. "Can the police really handle the killer? Can the law really convict whoever's behind this? Once I started worrying about that stuff, I knew I couldn't bother with anything else. I have to do what I can…" I gave him a large grin.

"That's the spirit!" I shouted, laughing.

"Hey, don't get carried away! You make me feel like I said something crazy…" he murmured. "I never thought I'd be talking about serious stuff like this. Before I moved here, it was all small talk… stupid, trivial things. I thought that was fine. It's only with you guys that I talk seriously like this. I dunno why, but I feel like I don't have to lie…. Especially with you. You've already seen the worst of me and all. But well… thinking about it now, if someone had to see that, I'm glad it was you." I stared at him.

"You're the first person who's ever said that to me," I remarked, sipping my drink and looking down at the table. "You know what? I trust you, too." Now it's his turn to stare at me. He chuckled.

"Thanks…" he said suddenly.

"F-for what?" I asked.

"For going in with me that time." I was confused for a second before suddenly realizing that he was talking about the time we went into the T.V. for the first time.

"No problem," I replied. A few seconds later, he cried, "Jiraiya learned Dekaja!"

"Nice!" I praised, giving him a thumbs up. He glanced down at his half-finished plate.

"Man… I'm hungry!" he exclaimed, picking up his fork.

We hung around the food court before going home, completely forgetting about the "somewhere" he wanted to show me.

**(Evening)**

I plopped down on the sofa and turned on my iPod. I played "Signs of Love" and opened "Beginner's Fishing." I tried not to fall asleep as I read the book.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, 425 (Early Morning)**

"The cultural clubs are accepting new applicants starting today!" an energetic girl exclaimed happily. I lowered the music volume. "You're welcome to join, even if you're already in a sports club," the girl continued. "Hmm…. Which cultural club should I join?"

"You're going to join a sports AND cultural club? Aren't you going to end up half-assing both of them?" her friend said. They continued to talk.

**(Morning)**

Mr. Kondo taught us about overcompensation in P.E. today. It was quite boring.

**(After School)**

I made my way down to the faculty office, hoping with all my might that King Moron would not be there.

I slowly pushed open the door and peeked in.

"What do you want!?" King Moron demanded. I shrank back.

"I-I wanna join a club… sir," I replied shakily.

"Oh, no!" the "King" shouted. "I know what you're really after! You're just trawling for boys, aren't you!? Admit it!"

"W-what!?" I exclaimed. "I wouldn't—"

"Listen up!" he interrupted. "A club is supposed…." For some reason, I found myself being lectured. I sighed inwardly.

_This guy can give lectures about anything… just like my grandma…_ I thought.

"So, still wanna join a club?" he finally asked.

"Uh… yeah," I answered. "I want to find out how to join… a… cultural... club…." I shrank back even more under his glare.

"The cultural clubs?" he shouted. "You'd better not be interested in them just so you can meet boys, Missy!

"You can join either the drama club or the band. Both clubs meet on the ground floor of the Practice Building. Go find them yourself! Before you go… the cultural clubs meet on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday! So are we done here!?" I nodded quickly, then briskly walked out before he could say anything else.

I walked to the music room in the practice building and pushed open the door.

"Oh, and don't forget to stop by the faculty office and pick up a key," a guy was saying.

"Okay, no problem!" a short girl said. She turned around and bumped into me. "Oh… sorry about that," she apologized.

"Uh… I'm here to join the… symphonic band," I told her.

"Oh, okay," she said. "Um, wait right here, please." She turned around and called, "Captain! Caaaaaaptain!" A boy came up to me and turned to the band.

"This is Misaki Ishida," the captain introduced. "Let's give her a warm welcome, everyone."

"Welcome!" chorused the band members. I nodded politely.

"So, Misaki-chan," he asked, "do you have any experience with musical instruments?"

I nodded. "I play the violin," I answered.

"Great!" the captain exclaimed. "Why don't you stick around and watch for today? We meet on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. And… hey Ayane!"

"Y-yes!?" the short girl replied.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to Misaki?" he said.

"Umm… uh… my name is Ayane Matsunaga. I'm a first-year," she muttered awkwardly. "I-I play the trombone. And, uh…."

"All right, she'll get you brought up to speed," the captain interrupted. "If you'll excuse me…." He turned to the band members. "Bring it in, guys. Break's over. Let's take it from the top again."

I watched the symphonic band rehearse, swaying to the beautiful music. After about thirty minutes, they went home. Ayane and I were the only ones left.

"Oh, Senpai… you're still here?" she said. "It's okay, you can go home!

"Oh! I'm sorry! I was supposed to give you the details on our club, wasn't I? Umm, we meet on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays… uh… they already told you that, huh…? We don't take attendance, so you don't have to come if you don't want to. But practice makes perfect, so…. If you keep at it, this is a great way to learn to express yourself!" I nodded. "Though… I'm not the best example of that…. Uh... do you have any questions, Senpai?"

"Uh… the club plays here, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," she answered. "But sometimes we do performances at hospitals, or for senior homes."

"That's cool," I remarked.

"But we aren't a big enough band to enter any competitions…" she muttered. "But people enjoy our performances. We really pour our hearts into the music." She paused. "Well… I say 'we,' but I don't usually play. I take care of all the paperwork around here."

"Why don't you play…?" I asked. She shrugged.

"A-anyway, I have to tidy up," she said. "Why don't you go on ahead, Senpai?"

"I'll help," I announced, moving towards the back of the room to where the scattered instruments laid.

"Huh? Uh, umm…" she muttered, staring at me. "N-no, it's okay! It's my responsibility! So, um, please! Don't go out of your way!"

"Too late," I replied, picking up a candy wrapper.

Suddenly, everything froze. I sighed.

_Is this gonna happen EVERY TIME I get a new Social Link…?_ I wondered, exasperated.

Ayane Matsunaga was the Social Link of the Sun Arcana.

The picture on the card was a weird-looking sun. At the bottom was the Roman Numeral XIX.

Everything came back to life. I tried to look as if nothing happened as we cleaned the room up before going home.

**(Evening)**

I went out again after dropping my stuff down at home.

I strolled along through the night, looking at the beautiful night sky. You don't get to see many stars in the city, where the city's lights block out the stars'.

"Oh, Misaki," someone called. "What're you doing out at night?"

"Huh?" I said as I whipped around. "Oh. Hey Kou! What're_ you_ doing out here at night?"

"Me? I was just on my way home," he explained. "I was talking with my classmates. If you're bored, you wanna hang out for a bit?"

"Eh, sure," I answered. We sat in front of Souzai Daigaku.

"Man, the team's really gotten better since you joined," Kou said.

"You sure?" I scoffed. "All they were doing was look at my legs and chest." He chuckled.

"I thought they were doing better," he said. "Maybe you can motivate them by telling them that you want them to try their best."

"You think that'd work?" I asked, drawing figures on the table.

"I dunno," he replied, shrugging. "Maybe. But they're too lax, y'know." I nodded. "How hard do you think we should be practicing?" he asked me. "If you think we're not doing enough, I can adjust it." I chuckled.

"I don't have that much stamina," I said. _It's a wonder how I can run for so long in the T.V. world._ "But bring it on, man!"

"Oooh, that's awesome," said Kou. "We'll have a talk with the others next practice, then." He beamed at me. "Speaking about the team, are there any positions you want? Forward? Guard? How about small forward? You look like you'd be perfect for it…."

"Just don't put me in a position where I have to shoot," I chuckled. "I can't make a hoop even if my life depended on it!"

We chatted for a bit before it started getting late. He gave me some Blue Cheese Chips before we parted ways and went home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woo! The long-awaited chapter is finally out! Sorry for not updating. I was busy with stuff. Hope you liked it! ^_^ Oh! And tell me if you like doing 2+ days in one chapter, or just one day a chapter. Or maybe some more suggestions or something! Thanks!**

**(And I know some of you guys already gave me your opinions. I already read them, don't worry. But if you didn't, please tell me what you think I should do!)**


	18. Training With Chie

**Tuesday, 4/26 (Morning)**

Mrs. Nakayama was droning on and on about some animal and some vending machine.

"Miss Satonaka!" she suddenly called. "Tell me which of these don't exist: Amicable numbers, betrothed numbers, marriage numbers, or sociable numbers?" Chie looked around frantically.

"Do you know, Misaki-chan?" she whispered. "I don't think I've heard any of these!"

"Uh… I don't think marriage numbers exist," I whispered back. She repeated my answer.

"That's actually correct," Mrs. Nakayama said. "Next time, Miss Satonaka, please just say honestly if you don't know the answer."

"Guess she knew I was asking you," she said quietly. "But thanks, Misaki!"

"Yeah…" I muttered, trying to sink into my chair as the other students looked at us.

**(Lunchtime)**

I finished my lunch and was about to go to the classroom when Chie came up to me.

"Yooo, whatcha doin'?" she asked. "If you have time after school, hang out with me, okay? When I'm not busy after school, you can usually find me hanging out on the roof. Think about it!" On that note, she went upstairs.

"Yo, Misaki," Kou greeted, waving his hand. "You know we've got practice today, right? You'd better be there! See ya later!" He jogged to Daisuke.

"Oh, Senpai," Ayane said. "I just wanted to remind you that we have practice today. I think we'll all be playing together, so it should be a lot of fun." A picture of my violin sitting in the corner of my room flashed in my mind as she walked away.

**(After School)**

The boy at the shrine wanted some Steak Croquettes. So I bought him some and in return, he gave me some more Ladybugs.

I ran to school and climbed the stairs to the roof. I closed the door behind me, trying to catch my breath. Then, I calmly walked to Chie.

"'Sup," I greeted.

"You wanna hang out?" she offered. I nodded. "Then come with me!"

She took me to the Samegawa riverbank.

"Hmm…. This looks like a good spot," she mused.

"For what?" I asked.

"Y'know, for training!" she answered excitedly. "I need to hone my kicking skills, or I won't be able to use them in battle."

"I think you're pretty good at kicking already," I said. "I mean… you practice on Yosuke all the time, right?"

"I need to get better!" she said with a small smile. "I tried practicing at home… but my mom and dad yelled at me for putting a hole in the shoji."

"Well, be careful, then!" I told her.

"Still… now's the time to train, right!?" she exclaimed. I nodded. "You think so, too!?" She beamed at me. "Soooo… let's train together…. No?"

"I'm cool with it," I replied, nodding.

"Yes! Thanks, Misaki!" she yelled, a grin on her face. "That thing… y'know, that time? I mean the Shadow that came out of me. I feel pathetic knowing that's another 'me.' Makes me feel like I gotta work harder! Alllllright, let's do it! Between you and me, we'll be unstoppable!"

"Yeah!" I shouted, laughing. She paused for a second.

"Hey! Tomoe learned Rebellion, Misaki!" she exclaimed. "Anyway, let's start today with frog leaps! C'mon! You try some!"

"Uh…" I said as she knelt down. We trained until the sun went down.

**(Evening)**

I grabbed my fishing pole from my room and headed out into the rain.

I used a bread crumb as my bait and cast the line (is that how you say it?). Watching the water, I readjusted my hand placement on the fishing pole. Suddenly, the bobber sank. Feeling a tug, I began to pull the fishing pole back. After a few minutes of tug-of-war with the fish, I reeled it in. I brought the wet fish out of the water. It was a Red Goldfish.

I fished a few more times, using the Tatsuhime Ladybug the boy gave me, and caught a few Genji Ayus and Amber Seemas before heading home.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, 427 (Early Morning)**

I grabbed my iPod, looking at the rain beating against my window. Sighing, I grabbed my umbrella and headed out.

**(After School)**

I walked past a girl, and she stopped me.

"Can I ask you to do something for me?" she asked.

"What?" I inquired, turning down my music volume.

"Well, what I want you to do is…" she began. "Do you know that guy from our class who always goes up to the roof? I want you to go see what he's up to." I raised an eyebrow quizzically. "No! Th-that's not what I meant!" she exclaimed. "I, uh… I just wonder what he does up there, that's all. I'm just asking you about it."

"Okay," I answered.

"Thank you!" she squealed. "I owe you one!"

After that, I decided to go fishing. So I stopped by the house to get my fishing rod, and went out.

I caught a few Amber Seemas and Genji Ayus before running out of bait.

**(Evening)**

I plopped onto the couch and opened "Expert Study Methods." The book contained tips on how to concentrate during class and take notes effectively.

I read the book as the rain spattered against the window. I sighed, leaning against the back of the sofa. The sounds of the rain are so soothing….

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, 428 (Early Morning)**

"Morning!" Chie called as she jogged to me. I gave her a polite nod.

"Hey hey! Yukiko told me that she'll be able to come to school again in two days!" Chie exclaimed happily. "Oh man, I'm glad. I'm so happy!"

"It's thanks to you, Chie," I said.

"C'mon," she protested, "you know it's because all three of us did our best." Her face grew a little pink. "Actually…" she muttered, "more like the three of us and one animal-thingy?" I burst out laughing.

"Yeah!" I said. "You're absolutely right! Although I think I'd call him a bear."

**(After School)**

I wanted to hang out with Ayane today, but I realized that I didn't have a Sun Persona. So, I stopped by the Velvet Room and got Phoenix. Then, I stopped by the house to get my violin and went back to school.

The captain seated me near the front next to a violinist.

"Uh, Captain?" I called. "Am I first or second violin*?"

"You can be first violin," he answered quickly. "Now, from the top!"

We played through part of the song before he stopped us.

"Cut, cut, cut!" he yelled. "The trombone is flat. Is that you again, Ayane?"

_He singled her out?_ I thought._ That's mean._

"I-I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Alright," the captain said. "Let's see what we can do about the tempo in that second movement…."

We continued to play. The captain stopped us from time to time, either to tell Ayane that she sucked (in a subtle way), or to tell us that we needed to improve something.

About thirty minutes later, everyone packed up and left.

"You must be tired, Senpai," Ayane said. "You have such great tone! I guess you weren't kidding when you said you'd played before."

"It's not that good," I replied.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "I know that doesn't mean much coming from someone like me. I was sticking out again today… I wish I had as much talent as you."

"You _do_ have talent," I said defiantly.

"Huh? Y-you really think so? I guess I'll just have to keep at it, then…," she muttered, smiling. "Oh, but… we have another trombone player here. Takeru-senpai. He's really good, so he always gets picked for the performances. That's why I've never gone to one. But it doesn't matter…. I can't play in front of an audience anyway.

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered. "I shouldn't bother you with all this. I better get this place picked up so I can go home."

"Have some faith in yourself," I scolded lightly, picking up a piece of crumpled paper. I turned around and spotted a trash can. Positioning my hands as if I was holding a basketball, I aimed, and shot the paper. It flew in. "Yes!" I yelled, jumping around excitedly.

"Nice shot!" praised Ayane.

We continued to clean the room up, then parted ways and went home.

**(Evening)**

I sat down on the sofa and continued to read "Expert Study Methods." I tried not to fall asleep to the sound of the rain as I finished the chapter.

***In case you didn't know, in an orchestra, there are two parts for the violin: first violin and second violin. The first violins are usually the melody, and the second violins are usually the harmony, along with the cellos, violas, and basses.**

* * *

><strong>AN: Woo! Another chapter's out! I'm sorry if you think this one's kinda short (I mean... it's only about 800 words long).**

**Just so you know (in case you're wondering how I'm how I'm gonna write the chapters), I usually like to write 1,000 to 2,000-word chapters, give or take a few hundred.**

**It just depends on how long the day is. For example, if I'm writing something that's about the main story, I'm usually only going to write about that one day only because it usually has TONS of dialogue and other stuff happening. If it's just a regular day, I'll usually write two days. As you have noticed, Wednesday was a very short day, which was why I decided to add another day, just to make it a little longer.**

**I know this is useless info, but I just thought that you guys would like to know how I'm going to... "divide" the chapters up or something (dunno how to word it).**


	19. Yukiko Goes Into the TV Again

**Friday, 4/29 (Daytime)**

Today was Showa Day, so I had the day off from school. _Yes!_

I plopped onto my couch and finished reading "Expert Study Methods" as the rain pounded against the window.

**(Evening)**

I glanced out the window after finishing the book. Crap! It's dark! I rushed downstairs as Nanako called me.

The news was on.

"Due to the weekend rainfall, clear skies seem unlikely in the area," the announcer said. "A thick fog is expected to set in tonight and remain until tomorrow morning, with heaviest concentration in the Inaba area. Anyone planning to go out tonight should take care…."

"More fog, huh?" my uncle muttered. "There's been a lot of that lately. Hopefully it's not a sign of more trouble." Nanako changed the channel. "Ah-ah-ah," Dojima said. "What did I say about changing the channel without asking?"

"Have a great day even during Golden Week at your local Junes," the commercial lady announced. "Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes."

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sang joyfully. "Dad! They're going to be open during Golden Week!"

"Haha, I heard. Do you want to go somewhere during the long holiday?" he asked.

"We can go somewhere!?" she exclaimed.

"How about it? Got any plans yet, Misaki?" he asked.

"Uh... not really," I answered.

"Then let's all go somewhere together!" Nanako yelled, jumping up and down. "Junes! Junes Junes Junes!"

"You're sure you want to go to Junes? We can go there anytime," Dojima said. "Come on, girl, time for bed. It's late."

"Alright…" she mumbled. "Every day's great at your Junes!"

_Man… she sure is excited about this,_ I thought. I grabbed a snack and headed upstairs.

I sat down on my sofa and kept my eyes on the T.V. as the rain pattered against the window. The screen lit up, but showed no one. I smiled, relieved.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, 430 (Early Morning)**

I was about to walk through the school gates before I spotted Yukiko.

"Oh, hey!" I called as I jogged to her.

"O-oh… good morning," she replied.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

"Y-yeah… I'll be coming to school again, so that'll be nice," she answered. "I caused everyone some real trouble. I'm sorry. No, 'sorry' isn't quite right…. What I mean to say is, thank you." She smiled at me. "My mother's back to work already. The maids are being really supportive and I think things are going even smoother than before."

"That's good," I said.

"I wonder if I was trying too hard…" she muttered. "I may have been too caught up in the idea that I had to do everything myself. Ever since the incident…I feel like I can think about these things more calmly. But… it's still kind of embarrassing. You guys saw everything…. Even the things I didn't want to admit."

"Don't worry about it!" I said, grinning widely.

"Thanks," she said.

"Yukiko!" Chie yelled, running to us.

"Oh, it's Chie!" Yukiko said. "Well, I'll talk to you later." She walked over to her best friend.

**(Morning)**

"Misaki-chan!" Mr. Yamada called. I stood up nervously. "What is the greatest canyon in the solar system?" I remembered reading about this in a book….

"…. Valles Marineris…?" I answered uncertainly.

"Wow, you really are from the city!" he exclaimed.

"W-what?" I said quietly. He said something as I sat down in my seat. I tried to make myself invisible as the other students looked at me.

**(After School)**

Chie, Yosuke, and I met on the roof of the school and waited for Yukiko. She came a few minutes later, holding two instant-noodle bowls.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she apologized. "The soba is yours, right Chie?" She handed a bowl to Chie.

"Thanks!" said Chie. "Oooh, that smells so gooood. These instant noodles are just the thing to help me through club…. How much longer do I have to wait on this?"

"It stills needs a few minutes," answered Yukiko as she sat down.

"So why're we here?" Chie muttered. "Oh yeah, we were going to ask Yukiko what happened."

"Yukiko-san, I hate to bring up stuff you'd rather not think about… but I need to ask you again," said Yosuke. I scrolled through my music list and chose "Deduction." "Did you recall anything about when you got kidnapped?" Yosuke continued. We all looked at her expectantly.

"No…" she muttered. "I thought I might remember something if I let it sit for a while, but as time passes, it only gets hazier.

"I think… the doorbell rang at the entrance… and someone called for me…." She shook her head. "But when I woke up after that, I was already in the castle. I'm sorry…."

"No need to apologize," Chie said. "But does this mean her visitor is the culprit!?"

"I don't know…. If it's true, then that's one daring criminal," Yosuke muttered. "What kind of killer would ring the doorbell? The police are probably looking for witnesses… but I don't think we can expect much from them. Heh, as if the culprit wore bright yellow clothes at the scene of the crime." I chuckled.

"I wonder why whoever it is would do stuff like this," said Chie.

"We won't know until we confront 'em ourselves," replied Yosuke. "But we can be sure of one thing. It's no coincidence that people keep ending up in that place. Someone on our side is definitely kidnapping them and throwing them into the T.V. It's murder, all right….

"Oh yeah, we never told you," he suddenly said. "Misaki and me are gonna catch the culprit ourselves! The police are out of their league on this case, but we got our Personas."

"Could you lend us a hand?" I asked.

"Huh? Um…" Yukiko mumbled.

"I'm helping out, too!" Chie yelled, raising her hand. "I can't believe someone would throw people into a place like that. I'm gonna sock whoever's doing this."

"Me too," I said. "Right in the nuts!" I punched the air.

"Chie…" Yukiko murmured. Chie, Yosuke, and I glanced at each other. It's gonna be a while before she makes up her mind. So, we decided to chat a little.

The conversation went from how to catch the culprit, to how to teach that guy a lesson, to food.

"Let me help too," Yukiko said out of nowhere. "I want to know why this is happening. Especially if someone hates me so much they want to kill me. I don't want to run away from myself anymore."

"Alright! Then let's work together and catch this a**hole!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Agreed," Yukiko said.

"Welcome to the Investigation Team!" I laughed.

"That's our name now?" Chie asked. I shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" I replied. We all laughed.

"But how're we going to find them?" Chie asked. "We don't have a single lead yet."

"We'll find a way," I said.

"I'm the third one to be targeted so far… but I have a feeling this isn't the end of it," Yukiko said. I nodded in agreement. "If we had an idea of who might be targeted next, wouldn't we have an advantage over the killer?" she continued.

"So we'll outsmart them, huh?" mused Yosuke. "Yeah… that might work. Okay, so let's see if we can figure out what ties the victims together. First, there was that announcer, Mayumi Yamano. Second was Saki Konishi… Senpai…." His face clouded. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Third was Yukiko Amagi," he said. "What do they all have in common?"

"Well… they're all girls," I suggested.

"Bingo," Yosuke replied.

"How dare he target females!?" Chie yelled. "Now that's unforgivable! The culprit's gotta be some kinda pervert."

"Also, what about this? The second and third victims had some sort of connection to the first one," Yosuke said.

"Hey, that's right," agreed Chie. "Yukiko and Saki-senpai both had connections to that announcer."

"That's true," Yukiko said. "Then… does that mean females connected in some way to Mr. Yamano's case are being targeted?"

"I think that's a safe assumption for now," Yosuke said. "There's another angle we can take, too. If another person disappears…."

"They'd be on the Midnight Channel," I finished.

"That happened right before Yukiko was kidnapped too," Chie said.

"Yeah, it's hard to tell who at first, but what's important is, it's happened before the victims disappeared," Yosuke murmured. "Kinda like a ransom note. We still don't know why that happens, but we'll have to rely on it for now."

"The next time it rains…" Yukiko muttered. We nodded in agreement. The Midnight Channel's the only thing we've got to predict who's next.

"By the way, aren't those done by now?" Yosuke asked.

"Whoa, that's right!" Chie exclaimed. "Chow time!" They peeled off the cover of their instant noodles and dived in.

"Hey, could I try just a little bit of that!?" Yosuke pleaded. "Just on tiny bite!?

"Hands off the soba, pal!" Chie said. "Go get your own in if you want some!" Yosuke tried making that sad puppy face, and Chie growled. "Okay, just one bite, got it?" She handed him the instant noodles.

"Do you want to try some?" Yukiko asked me.

"N-no thanks," I refused as the aroma reached me. I tried not to drool.

"It's sooo gooood…. The aroma, the flavor, and the texture all combined…. This is perfect!" Yosuke yelled exuberantly. He ate faster.

"What the hell are you doing!?" she screamed. Yosuke quickly gave the bowl back to Chie. "You ate everything…" she said dejectedly.

"It's all right, Chie," Yukiko consoled. "Here, have some of mine." Chie shot a death glare at Yosuke.

"I hope you understand what this means," she raged.

"W-wait wait wait! Stop! I'm sorry!" he yelled, backing up. "I-I'll buy you steak! It'll be on me!" I sighed inwardly, glad that I didn't try the instant noodles. "Y-you hear me? The very best!" I found myself laughing, and tried to stifle it.

"Steak…!?" Chie repeated. I couldn't hold it in. I burst out laughing. Everyone looked at me oddly, but I didn't care. I leaned on Yosuke, trying to stay upright.

"H-hey, Misaki…" he muttered.

"Oh, god…" I said, trying to stop laughing. I failed, and laughed some more.

"Man… she's almost as bad as Yukiko…" Chie muttered.

"Man, talk about great timing. We just started serving grilled steak today," Yosuke said. They tried to calm me down without success. In the end, they simply dragged me to Junes.

We sat down with at a table, Chie and Yukiko with steaks in their hands, and a soda in mine.

"We're doing our part to spread this town's specialty dish. Plus, we've already got an excellent grill," Yosuke continued.

"That's just a yakisoba griddle. Oh well, steak is steak," Chie sighed. "It's far from a filet steak, though.

"So back on topic. I wonder what kind of person the culprit is."

"If you focus just on the announcer's case, it seems like a revenge thing. Maybe it was her lover's wife," Yosuke said.

"But Misuzu Hiiragi had a sold alibi, didn't she? And it seemed like she was already separated from her husband," Chie countered.

"Really? You know an awful lot about this," he said. "Okay, what about the second case? Saki-senpai… she found the announcer's body. Assuming the same person killed them both, then why target Senpai?"

"Maybe it was to shut her up," I suggested, sipping my drink.

"Yeah, I think so too," Yosuke replied. "Maybe she found a clue or something about the culprit."

"But the killer just threw the announcer into a T.V., right?" Yukiko asked. "I don't think he would've left evidence the police—much less a high school student—would catch."

"Yeah, exactly," agreed Yosuke.

"Man, I thought the countryside would be a snooze, but it's proving to be a lot more exciting than I thought," a voice said. I glanced up and saw Adachi. "Ooh, they updated the menu!"

"Huh? Isn't he that detective?" Chie asked. Adachi turned around and spotted us.

"Hey, you were at Dojima san's," he said. He chuckled. "Hey, this is great timing, after all. Dojima-san that he'll be leaving work on schedule tonight. Could you pass that on to Nanako-chan?" I nodded. He turned to my friends. "Yo! I'm Adachi, Dojima-san's gofer…. Err, I mean, his partner."

"Are you this busy every day?" inquired Yosuke.

"Huh? Oh, well, the public seems to be getting a charge out of these cases, but we can't leave it at that," Adachi said.

"Sorry, to butt in, but could it be that the killer targeted Saki-senpai in order to silence her?" Chie asked quietly.

"U-umm, you sure get to the heart of the matter. Yikes… haha…" Adachi muttered. "Of course, we're also thinking along those lines. She was killed right after the announcer's body was found. If they killer was trying to silence her, there might've been something at the scene only she would have understood. Which would mean that the culprit may be someone close to Ms. Konishi. Nothing like that points to Misuzu Hiiragi, so…. Oh! I might have stumbled across something here. W-wait, were you listening to all that!? Crap! Me and my big mouth…. D-don't tell anyone I said any of that, or Dojima-san will flay me alive." He cleared his throat, and announced in a deeper voice, "Relax, kids, the police are on the job. See ya!" He walked away as Chie sighed.

"You were right, Yosuke," she muttered. "The police are totally useless. Ah! My steak's getting cold!"

"Could you shut up about the steak for five seconds?" exclaimed Yosuke.

"Steak's everything to her," I joked.

We waited until she finished eating before heading inside the T.V.

"Wow…. This really is inside the T.V.," Yukiko murmured, looking around. Teddie walked up to us.

"Hey," I greeted, waving.

"It's Teddie…. Then it wasn't a dream," she said.

"Are you feeling better, Yuki-chan?" Teddie asked. "I did what you said! I've been a good bear!"

"Oh, I see. Good boy!" she praised.

"W-well, this bear's part of the reason we want to find the culprit," explained Yosuke.

"I'm one of the group now too. Let's work together, okay?" Yukiko said.

"Yep! I was thinking the same thing!" Teddie agreed. "That's why I got _these_ ready for you, Yuki-chan!" He handed her red glasses, and she put them on.

"Ooh, so these are what everyone's wearing. Thank you, Teddie," she said, and glanced around. "You're right! It's just as if the fog doesn't exist!"

"Hey, tell me something. How come you have so many pairs of glasses?" questioned Chie.

"Excellent question! Guess what?_ I'm_ the one who makes them!" Teddie answered proudly. "I've lived here for a long time, so I came up with some ways to be comfortable here."

"I see. But don't you need a pair?" Yukiko asked.

"Oooh, good point. Another great question. Listen to this! My eyes themselves are lenses!" he exclaimed. "You didn't know?"

"Of course not…" Yosuke muttered.

"W-why are you being so mean!? You act like you're not interested!" Teddie cried. "I'm a really dexterous bear! See how smoothly my fingers move?" He moved his fingers around in front of Yosuke's face.

"What am I even looking at!?" Yosuke said. He pushed Teddie away.

"Hm? You dropped something," Yukiko said, picking up the dropped object.

"Oh, that's a pair I kinda screwed up on," Teddie explained.

"Ooooh," Yukiko said, amused. She put them on.

"Y-Yukiko?" Chie said. She was wearing some silly glasses. It was round and had a nose and mustache.

"Ahaha, how do I look?" Yukiko asked. I burst out laughing.

"You look absolutely great!" I cried, holding my stomach. "It's perfect!" She laughed, too.

"Do you like that one, Yuki-chan?" Teddie asked. She nodded.

"I want to wear this one. It's even got a nose guard!" she answered. I laughed even harder.

"Yeah!" I agreed. I leaned against Chie, laughing so hard that tears fell down my eyes.

"Ohhh no you don't!" cried Chie.

"How bear-y unfortunate…. That pair doesn't have the right lenses in," Teddie muttered. "Guess I should've made an actual pair."

"Aww, too bad," Yukiko said. "Here, Chie. Your turn!" She handed Chie the glasses. Chie sighed.

"Man…" she mumbled. Yukiko gave her the puppy look, and she gave in. She put on the glasses just as I was calming down. One look at her face was enough. I broke down once more, and Yukiko joined in.

"How'd it come to this...?" Chie muttered.

"Y-Yukiko-san? Hellooo?" Yosuke called.

"There goes one of Yukiko's laughing fits…. I never thought she'd do it when someone besides me was around…. And apparently, Misaki has a laughing fit, too." She scowled at us, yelling, "These stupid glasses are useless for investigating! I mean, what the hell's this nose for, anyway!?"

"Nice work, huh? That's what happens when you guys leave me here alone, and I get bored!" Teddie cried.

"Cheer up, Chie," I laughed, punching her shoulder. "We've gotta have a laugh sometime, right?"

"I think you laugh too much…" she mumbled.

"W-well, I'm glad that she's in high spirits again… I guess…" Yosuke said uncertainly.

"Oh Chie… the look on your face…. It was so funny!" Yukiko said, holding her sides in laughter. "I-I can't stop… laugh—Ohhh, my stomach!" I finally stopped laughing for a minute, but I accidently looked at Chie again, and I lost it. The others had to drag us out of the T.V. because we were laughing too hard.

**(Evening)**

"The 4th and the 5th…" murmured Dojima. We had just finished dinner. "I think I might be able to get the 4th and 5th off."

"Really!?" cried Nanako. Then she looked doubtful and sad. "…Really…?"

"What, you don't believe me?" Dojima asked.

"It's always canceled," Nanako muttered.

"N-not every year!" Dojima cried. "I know you wanted to go to Junes, but… I wouldn't mind going a little further out of the neighborhood."

"Really!? Can we go on a trip?" she asked.

"Uh…. Well, it might be okay to go on a trip once in a while," he said. "I'm sure it'll be crowded everywhere, though."

"Yay! We're going on a trip!" Nanako exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"All right, all right. Then we need to think of someplace to go," he murmured. "How about you, Misaki? You wanna come along with us?"

"Hel—uh… HECK YEAH*," I almost screamed, pumping my fist in the air.

"Yeah! Let's all to go together!" Nanako exclaimed.

"Looks like Nanako wants us all to go," Dojima chuckled.

"Let's bring boxed lunches!" she suggested.

"Yeah, good idea. We're always eating side dishes for dinner," Dojima explained. "And Nanako's not good enough yet to make them herself…. Hmm…. Well it'll work out. That's why we've got this girl for, huh Nanako?" He thumped my back.

"Yaaay! Boxed lunches!" she said excitedly.

"Huh? I'm cooking?" I asked bluntly. They nodded._ Oh god… I hope I don't f*** it up._

I went to my room and picked up a random book. "The Lovely Man." _Eh. I'll read it._

The very first chapter began: "All men have the great spirit of masculinity within themselves." Immediately, I knew I picked up the wrong book. This was a guy's book._ Eh whatever._

I read the first few chapters. It made me feel like a real man.

***Misaki realized that the word, "hell" was not appropriate for children, so she changed it into "heck."**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This was a looong chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! ^_^**


	20. Hangin' Out with Marie

**Sunday, 5/1 (Daytime)**

My phone rang. I groggily sat up on my futon and picked up the phone.

"Hello…?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

"Oh, hello? It's me, Chie. Do you have time to go inside the T.V. today?" the person asked. "Now that Yukiko's with us, I think it might be good for her to get some experience being in that place. Just give us a call if you want to go. See ya!" She hung up.

Groaning, I got up and did my morning routine, then went outside.

I decided to hang out with Marie today.

Unfortunately, I didn't have an Aeon Persona, so I fused one quickly.

"Hey, I wanna go somewhere," Marie said as I was about to leave the Velvet Room. "Take me out."

"Uh… okay," I answered.

"Let's go, then," she said, walking out. I trailed behind her, giving a small wave to Igor and Margaret.

"I wanna go to a lively place today," Marie said. "I want to go to 'Joo-nes.' I heard about that place."

"Uh… okay," I replied, leading her to Junes. After a few minutes, she took the lead, running around like a little kid.

We went into the electronics department, in front of the T.V. we use to enter the other world.

"Hey, what happened just now? 'Time sale'…?" Marie asked. "Everyone was rushing to grab something called 'sallah drezzing'? Whatever it is, it must be worth fighting for."

"Uh… maybe…." I replied. Chie appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey, Misaki-chan!" she greeted. "What a coincidence! What're you doin' here?" She stared at Marie. "Who's this girl? She's so cute."

"She's Marie," I answered, bowing very slightly and gesturing towards her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" Marie muttered awkwardly.

"Marie-chan, huh? Ooh, that's a nice name…" Chie mused. "Oh, I'm Chie Satonaka. Nice to meet you!"

"…Okay…" Marie muttered. She glanced around awkwardly, and spun around, facing a T.V. "I know what this is," she cried. "It shows a lot of stuff."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Oh, you came to look at the T.V.s, too?" Chie inquired. I stared at her. Did she not notice that Marie seemed like she didn't know what a… "thing that shows lots of stuff" was called a T.V.? "Yeah, I want one too," she was saying. "We still haven't replaced our old one."

"I-I don't want one!" Marie snapped. "I don't, but…. Maybe…. Can you turn it to 'StarScandalz?" Her face lit up. I smirked playfully.

"So you _do_ want one," I said, poking her shoulder.

"N-no I don't! I just… was wondering how you're supposed to watch it," she explained unconvincingly.

"Uh huh…" I said, putting my hand on my chin.

"So… how do you watch it?" she asked. I explained how to use a T.V. poorly (I was not good at explaining things) as she faced the T.V.

"Huh!? Are you one of those people who doesn't watch T.V.!?" Chie cried.

"There isn't one in the room," Marie answered.

"Really!? Wow…. You must have super-strict parents," Chie said. "Girl, I don't think I could stand it. Life without kung fu movies…. Brr!" She shivered.

"But there's no 'eclectic loutwits' in that room," Marie explained._ Oh dear god…._ "I'll tell The Nose to install one of those 'electic loutwits.' There's nothing to do in there!" Marie yelled.

Stifling a laugh, I said, "You sure it would fit in there?" She nodded with conviction, and walked off.

"Hey, wait, Marie-chan?!" Chie called. "You don't even have electricity in your room!?"

"Odd, isn't it…?" I muttered before chasing down Marie with Chie at my heels.

After we caught up to Marie, we decided to get some food, so we all got some steak. Well… Marie and I got one and Chie got two.

We sat down and dug in. Before I was half way with my steak, Chie was already done with her first one._ Daaaang, that girl eats fast!_

Marie nibbled on her steak, seemingly trying to figure out if she likes it or not.

Chie finished her second steak.

"Whew, that was the good stuff. Satisfaction!" she sighed. "I haven't had steak here in a while, but it really isn't all that bad. Marie-chan, you haven't eaten at all. You gotta eat if you want to grow up big and strong. Just kidding, haha!"

"You eat too fast," Marie stated. "You're gonna be fat one day."

"I didn't need to hear that!" Chie cried with a pained look on her face. "Uh… I'll go get us some drinks! O-oolong tea sounds good." She jumped up and ran off.

"There's a lot of people at this 'Joo-nes' place. Why? Don't they have anything else to do?" Marie questioned. "If they have T.V.s, they should be watching them instead of wasting time here."

"Actually, most of them do," I replied. "But sometimes, people just want to walk around, or go buy some food." We chatted for a bit (well, mostly her asking questions and me answering them).

"Mommy, I'm thirsty! I wanna soda!" a kid yelled.

"No. You just had one. You'll have to wait," the mother ordered.

"I wannit, I wannit!" the kid persisted.

"I said no. You'll rot your teeth," the mother said, walking away. The kid hurried after her. Marie studied them.

"Hey…. Do you think I was ever like that?" she asked.

"If you're a regular person, then yeah," I answered.

"I see…." She looked depressed all of a sudden. "I don't remember anything. I was just walking…. I had nowhere to go, and I just ended up in that car. Then Margaret told me to stay there. She also gave me the name 'Marie'…. It'd be hard to get around without a name."

"That must be tough," I said.

"I don't know. I can't even remember if it was tough," she muttered. "That's okay…. It's not like it's troubling me or anything."

"Psh, yeah," I scoffed. "You're_ totally_ not troubled about it." She glared at me, then looked down dejectedly at the table.

"But… I don't know why, but this town is familiar to me…" she said.

"Hmm…. Do you remember anything else?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I don't know. The only thing I remember—or more like 'know'—is that this is mine." She got something out of her bag and showed it to me. It was an old bamboo comb. "I had this from the start…. This is definitely mine," she said. "But… so what? This doesn't help anything." She put it away. "You're searching for the 'truth,' right? You should stop. There's no such thing."

"What!?" I yelled. "Stop lying! Of course there's a truth! You just have to look for it!" We had an unplanned, unannounced staring contest.

"This conversation's boring," Marie said, looking away. "Let's talk about something else."

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Chie panted. "The shop was busy so I just ordered and came back here. They'll bring it to us when it's ready." She glanced at us. "Is it me, or is the mood a bit heavy around here? D-don't worry, you two! I ordered for all of us! Oolong tea for everybody!"

"Calm down, Chie," I said. "We're not worried about that."

"… Oh."

After we chatted for a bit, drinking our tea, I escorted Marie back to the Velvet Room, and went back home.

**(Evening)**

I grabbed a snack and went to my room. I picked up "The Lovely Man" (why not, right? Might as well read it all the way through) and plopped onto the sofa. After finishing the book, I finished my snack and went to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I spotted a mistake on the last chapter... Why didn't you guys tell me about it!? T_T**

**Anyway, it's just one long day today! ^_^'**

**(And please tell me if there are any mistakes that I missed.)**


	21. Training Well Kinda (Part 1)

**(Evening)**

I grabbed a snack and went to my room. I picked up "The Lovely Man" (why not, right? Might as well read it all the way through) and plopped onto the sofa. After finishing the book, I finished my snack and went to bed.

**Monday, 5/2 (Early Morning)**

"Good morning," Yukiko greeted. The rain splattered around us.

"Hey," I replied.

"It's raining…. It's not going to last past nightfall, though," she said. "Every time it rained while I was… 'over there,' you must have been….

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be gloomy. I know! Golden Week starts tomorrow, right? Do you have any plans?" she asked.

"I'll have a family outing," I answered.

"I-I see. That must be tough. At least it looks like we're going to have clear skies all week. It'd be nice if it could stay peaceful like this, but the mystery hasn't been solved yet. Perhaps we should visit 'over there' once in a while so we can become stronger." I nodded in agreement, and we start walking through the school gates.

**(Afternoon)**

I tried to look like I was paying attention as King Moron yelled at us. I glanced around. Everyone else looked exasperated.

**(After School)**

I was about to exit the classroom when a girl stopped me.

"Ah… um…. I have something to ask you. Will you listen to me?" she asked me.

"What is it?"

"To be honest… I haven't been able to sleep lately. I'm afraid of so many things out there."

_Good thing you haven't been to the T.V. world,_ I thought.

"But, if I had some sort of charm, I could calm down and actually rest… I think," she continued. "Like an angle statue, or something. I get the feeling that it could protect me. Someone from the city like you should know where to get one of those, right? O-of course, I'll repay you! Umm…. How about I trade you my old good-luck charm for it? It's a key. I don't know what it's a key TO exactly, but it seems like it could be worth a lot."

"Sure, I'll look for one for you," I answer.

"Huh!? Really?" the girl cried. "Thank goodness…. Well then, I'll leave it in your hands!"

_An angle statue, huh…? Do the Shadows drop those…? Welp! Let's find out._

Another guy stopped me as I was about to go down the stairs.

"Uh… excuse me. Do you have a moment?" he asked. "I must speak to you on behalf of… the Mystery Association. Or if you would prefer, the Occult Club. Surely a student of your tastes… can appreciate the dark arts?"

"….Uh… yeah! Sure…" I replied uncertainly.

"I knew it! Just as it was foretold!" He chuckled mischeviously. "Perhaps you'd like a reading of your own? No, I'm getting carried away. Anyway, I was just about to get to the point of our little chat, now wasn't I? You see, I would like a really really_ dark_ ornament for our club's room. That would be ideal, yes? After all, a lasting first impression is key. 80% of our choices are dictated by that alone. So, you must journey to an old castle where you will seek out the most evil-looking demon statue you can."

_Old castle, huh…? I wonder where that would be…._

"It should be obvious, but you'll have better luck finding one if you look for a magician of sorts," the shady boy continued. "I think that would satisfy our need splendidly. So, what do you think? You ARE capable of finding this, right? Naturally, you can expect a reward from us. Let's see…."

_Man, this guy talks a LOT, _I thought.

"I might have numerous things one might use to restore one's 'health.' Catch my drift?" he asked.

"Yeah… uh… I think I can find it," I replied. "But just don't look at me weird if I look kinda beat up."

"Huh? Whatever. This is all as the higher being has foretold!" he yelled triumphantly."Thank you very much! You shall be rewarded handsomely!"

"Y-yeah… some of those 'healing thingies' would be nice…" I muttered.

I wandered around—since I had nothing to do—and found myself stopped by another guy. I sighed.

_How many people have requests for me…?_ I wondered, exasperated.

"Hey you, do you know about crystal radios?" the guy asked me. I shook my head. "They're really not that hard to build, if you have the right materials and an antenna. I made one when I was in grade school. I found it last year when I was cleaning my house. It really brought back memories…. Maybe I'll make another one. Oh, hey…. This is changing the subject, but would you mind listening to me for a moment?"

"I was listening to you this whole time, so it wouldn't hurt to listen to you some more," I replied.

"Well…. I'm making another crystal radio, but I don't have all the materials I need. I don't have any ritz wire for the antenna. Do you know what that is? I need the twisted, enameled kind...

"I was going to cannibalize a T.V. for parts, but I couldn't figure out how to break it down. I thought I could get one, but I can't find a new one anywhere now. If you ever come across one, remember me, okay? I'll give you something 'not sold in stores' in return."

"Sure. I'll look around in the T.V.," I said without thinking. A nanosecond later, I knew I had said the wrong thing.

"Huh? You sure say some weird things sometimes," the boy said.

"Yeah… that's the kind of person I am!" I said casually, walking off.

I decided to go to the T.V. today to pick up the objects my fellow classmates asked me to get.

I went to Junes and bought three Tiny Soul Tomatoes from the farming lady, and went to the food court. Then I called everyone up.

"Okay, let's go train and get some stuff in the T.V., guys!" I yelled.

"What stuff?" Chie asked.

"Stuff…" I replied. "Anyway, let's go!"

"I fell a powerful Shadow in the castle," Teddie reported. "Maybe this world is getting unstable from people going in and out. I don't think this Shadow is related to the culprit, but I don't like it being here. I'd be happy if you could defeat it for me."

"Don't worry, Teddie!" I said. "We'll beat it to a pulp, right guys?" Everyone nodded.

_I wonder what that liquor store has in there…._

"Hey Yosuke!" I called, walking up to him.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Can you show me the way back to the liquor store?" I asked.

"You know, I don't really want to go…" he protested.

"C'mon, man," I persisted, giving him the "puppy eyes."

"Argh! All right, I get it! I'll go already!" he gave in.

I went inside the store and looked around. I searched the counter and found an interesting beer bottle or whatever. I took it.

Then I checked the barrels and found something stuck in between them. I pulled the stuff out and found myself holding two knives. These are perfect for Yosuke!

I jogged out.

"Hey, Yosuke," I said, "here." I handed him the knives.

"Huh?" He took them and studied them. "Well… these ARE better than my old ones…" He slipped his old knives into his pockets and strapped on his new ones.

"See? Going here wasn't too bad," I said, walking back.

"Hey Teddie," I said. "Can you lead us back to the castle?"

"I-I sort of forgot where the castle is…" he muttered. "B-but I'm sure Chie-chan and Yuki-chan didn't forget! You should ask one of them to show you where it is.

"Oh, yeah! Hehehe... I made these the right way this time…." He gave me some stuff. "Tada! Braaaaaaand-new gag glasses!" he announced triumphantly.

"Oh god!" I yelled, laughing. "These are great! Hey Yukiko! Teddie made us some more gag glasses!"

"Really?" she cried, running over to me. "This is great!" We both put our pairs on and pretended to study each other.

"You look awesome, Yukiko!" I said, giving her a thumbs-up.

"You look awesome, too!" she replied. Then we doubled over, laughing our heads off.

"Ugh, here they go again…" Chie muttered, looking annoyed. "I thought we're here to train, not laugh our heads off!" In the end, Yosuke and Chie had to drag us to the castle.

"You guys calmed down, yet?" Yosuke asked, exasperated. I tried to get myself under control.

"Y-yeah… I-I'm… cal—" I said, before laughing again. Seriously. When you're trying to stop laughing, it makes you laugh harder. I swear.

"Oh geez," Chie mumbled. "We'll be here for the whole day before we actually do any training."

"S-sorr—" Yukiko laughed.

"Man, these glasses are great!" I yelled.

"Oh shut up," Yosuke said. It took us a few more minutes to stop laughing.

"Okay… I think we're good," I said. "Let's go!" I marched in with the others trailing behind me.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey! This is a bit of a short chapter, because I'm planning to fill the other one with exploring the castle and fighting Shadows and beating the crap out of the boss at the top! Hell yeah!**

**Anyway, thanks for reviewing, favorite-ing, and following, guys! I really appreciate it!  
><strong>

**I want to give a shout-out (is that how you spell it) to oOScarletOo and mewmewlover23 for reviewing so much! You guys encourage me to write more! So please review guys (and don't be afraid to point out any mistakes)!**

**Hmm... should I do a "shout-out" thingy for every chapter? You guys tell me! ^_^ Thanks for reading! And once again, please review (and point out any mistakes I made)!**


	22. Training Well, Kinda (Part 2)

We walked down the hallway cautiously.

"You sure we're going the right way?" Yosuke asked.

"No," I replied.

"This is going great," Chie muttered sarcastically. We continued moving down the hallway until we saw a door.

"Let's hope these are the stairs," I mumbled, pushing open the door. "Nope."

"Oh! A treasure chest!" Chie yelled.

"Let's get it!" Yukiko said.

"Wait," I ordered, looking around. I spotted a Shadow moving leisurely across the room. "Let's get it." I charged and swung my sword at it.

One Shadow appeared.

"This should be easy!" Yosuke yelled as he summoned Jiraiya. He used Garu and the Shadow fell.

"Let's attack with all our strength!" Yukiko shouted. We all charged in and hacked at it. It disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"Overkill!" I cheered.

"Hell yeah!" Yosuke said.

Suddenly cards floated down in front of my face. One was a green wand-like thing, a red sword, and a guy hanging upside down—the Hanged Man tarot card (I did a bit of research, so I know a little bit about tarot cards). I chose the green wand thingy.

Then I realized I had to get the angel statue, demon statue, and ritz wire for my fellow schoolmates. I sighed. Guess I'll have to look for it.

"What's wrong, Misaki?" Yukiko asked. Then she started to crack up. "S-sorr... Sorry…."

"Is somethi—" I began, before realizing why she was laughing (we still wore the gag glasses). I began to laugh, too.

"What are you guys laughing about!?" Yosuke demanded.

"N-nothi—" I tried to answer before succumbing to the laughter swelling inside me.

"They're crazy," Chie muttered, opening the small, red treasure chest. "I got a Life Stone, guys!"

"All right, let's go," Yosuke said, beckoning to us. I forced myself to calm down and followed Yosuke out of the room. Chie half-dragged Yukiko out.

We continued to go through the floor, trying to find the stairs.

"There's a Shadow there," Chie whispered.

"Let's kill it," I said, slicing at it.

"Careful!" Teddie cried.

Two Shadows appeared. They were the floating ball-like things with black and white stripes and huge mouths and tongues. I summoned Izanagi and used Zio on one of them while Chie and Yosuke attacked the other. Yukiiko used Agi on the one I was fighting, but it didn't do much. I ran up to it and hit it as hard as possible. It dissipated.

Chie and Yosuke finished up the other one, and we moved on.

We finally found the stairs and moved on to the second floor.

Chie looked around the large room distastefully.

"I don't like this place," she said.

"Then let's get moving," I replied, going up the stairs.

A Shadow sneaked up on us.

"Crap!" I yelled, whipping around. A white glove with a black head and blue mask hit me. I staggered backwards. That thing can hit hard!

"Sensei!" Teddie cried, running towards me. "You okay?"

"Tomoe!" Chie yelled. Her Persona shimmered above her. Ice formed around the Shadow, trapping it. The ice broke, and the Shadow fell flat on its face.

"Let's do this!"

We all charged at the Shadow. It didn't stand a chance.

Once again, cards appeared in front of me: a Hanged Man, two blue cups, a Sun, and a red sword. I chose the blue cups. Immediately, I felt a little better.

"You stare into space sometimes after battle," Yosuke noticed. "What's up with that?" I shrugged.

"Nothing much," I answered. "It's… something weird. I don't think you'd understand."

"Huh," he muttered, looking at me with doubt in his eyes.

We moved through the floors. Slowly. Yukiko was still getting used to the whole T.V. thing, so she got worn out easily. We had to take quite a few breaks.

"Hiya!" I yelled, digging my sword into the Shadow. One Shadow appeared. It was a king… thingy.

It summoned a weird green baby with a purple flower on its head.

"Yikes!" Teddie yelped.

Yosuke and I attacked the baby. I swung my sword and missed.

"Crap!" I yelled, jumping back before the baby could hit me. Yosuke rushed in and struck it. It recoiled. I took advantage of that second and struck it again… and missed._ What the hell is going on today?_

Yosuke laughed. "You're losing your edge, Misaki!" He sliced the green baby in half and it dissipated.

"Shut up, Yosuke," I mumbled.

The other girls weren't doing so well with the king. Chie kept kicking him, but he didn't seem affected much. Yukiko was busy using Dia (healing spell) to heal Chie.

"Time to redeem myself!" I cried, charging in. I slashed at the king… and missed… again. "C'MON!" I yelled, jumping back. Yosuke ran in and slashed repeatedly at the Shadow. It dissipated.

He glanced at me with a smirk on his face. "I thought you were better, Misaki," he taunted.

"Ah screw you," I said, waving my hand dismissively as I sheathed my sword.

"What's up?" Chie asked.

"She missed three times in a row," Yosuke answered smugly.

"Wow. Really?"

"Yeah."

My three teammates laughed.

Blushing, I said, "Let's keep moving, shall we?"

We moved from one floor to the next. I encountered some enemies that dropped the items I needed for the "quests." By the time we got to the last floor, everyone was panting.

"Let's… take… a small… break," I panted, leaning against the wall. We spent half the time running away from the Shadows, and it was really tiring. Like, really tiring. After resting for a few minutes, I asked, "Anyone need a Soul Drop or a Snuff Soul?"

"I do," Yukiko answered. I gave her a Snuff Soul and turned to the others.

"Anyone else?" Yosuke raised his hand, and I handed him a few Soul Drops.

"Is everyone ready!?" Teddie asked. Everyone nodded.

"Then let's get going!" I exclaimed, and pushed open the huge heavy door.

It was another king, only five times bigger. The black-faced Shadow wore a purple crown. It had a royal cloak on, and wore some blue pants. In its stubby hand was a staff.

"Let's do it, Sensei!" Teddie yelled. I nodded, and ran in, unsheathing my sword.

I spun and slashed it across the chest, almost losing my balance. Chie summoned Tomoe and used Rampage (a skill that deals light physical to all enemies once to three times). I ran around and struck it again. Yukiko used Agi. Unfortunately, the Shadow absorbed it, healing its wounds.

"Okay, don't use fire!" Teddie suggested unhelpfully.

"Yeah, I think we get it!" I yelled, slicing the Shadow again. Yosuke came in from behind and attacked it. Suddenly, the king smacked me, sending me across the room. I fell on my back painfully. Yukiko summoned Konohana Sakuya and healed me. I got back up and summoned Forneus.

Chie used Bufu, and the boss (yeah, slipping into game mode now) recoiled. I used Rakunda on it as Yosuke used Garu. It didn't affect the boss at all. Dang it!

Tomoe swooped down from above and slashed at it with its naginata.

The Shadow turned and smacked Yosuke a few times with its staff, and he staggered.

I summoned Izanagi and used Zio. The boss recoiled. Out of nowhere, Jiraiya rushed in and punched the Shadow in the face.

"Nice one!" I yelled.

"Haha, thanks!" Yosuke called back.

Suddenly, the Shadow used Rampage._ Uh-oh._ I got smacked a few times. Hard. My vision went blurry.

_Critical strike!_ the gaming part of my brain exclaimed.

_Shut up_, the reasonable part of my brain snapped as I fell to my knees.

"Misaki!" cried everyone. They sounded muffled. Suddenly, I better. Someone had healed me.

"Thanks," I said, getting up. Chie used Tarukaja (a buff that increases your attack power) and kicked the Shadow in the nuts.

"How does that feel, huh!?" she yelled.

Jiraiya punched the Shadow, then retreated. I used Tarukaja on Yosuke and on myself, then charged in. Izanagi zipped past the Shadow, slicing at its arm. The Shadow fell backwards._ Yes!_

_Critical Hit!_ the gaming part of my brain screamed.

"Let's do this!" I screamed, slicing at it nonstop.

A few seconds later, it forced us back, but the Shadow was bent over. Yukiko continued to heal us, since her attacks couldn't do any damage. I reapplied Rakunda, and sliced at it as hard as I could.

That did it. I sliced through its body as the rest of it dissipated.

"Woo!" I yelled, raising my fist into the air.

"We did it!" Chie exclaimed.

"Hell yeah!" Yosuke shouted.

"What's this?" Yukiko asked as she bent down to pick something up. It was a fan.

"The rest… of us… don't need… that, so… it's yours," I panted, leaning on my sword.

"Okay," she said, checking it out.

After that, I used a Goho-M to teleport us out of the castle. We headed back to the entrance, and exited the T.V.

**(Evening)**

Nanako and I watched the news. The guy was talking about some robbery. My cousin sighed.

"Dad's late…" she muttered. Suddenly, the phone rang. "Hello, Dad?" Nanako answered excitedly. "Yeah. I'm okay." Silence. "Yeah…. Yeah." Silence. "…Okay…." Silence. "… Alright…." She turned to me and said, "He said to give you the phone…." I took the phone and looked at her questioningly. "He can't take those days off," she muttered with a sad look on her face. Then she ran into her room.

"Hello? Uncle?" I said.

"Hello?" Dojima responded. "Sorry, but I'm going to be late tonight. Make sure you lock up before you go to sleep…. And about that time off on the 4th and the 5th…. One of the younger guys got sick…. And, well, that case he's handling, we can't just let it sit…. Looks like I'm the only one who can take over for him."

"Oh… okay," I mumbled, looking at towards Nanako's room. "Poor Nanako…."

"Sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden," Dojima apologized. "Um… how's Nanako holding up? Would you mind comforting her for me?"

"Sure," I answered, feeling a bit frustrated.

"Thanks. All right then. See ya." He hung up.

Sighing, I went up to my room and crashed onto the bed.

I dreamed that I was comforting a crying Marie.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for not uploading in a while. I had writer's block ,and... I was out of it. :( But don't worry! I'll keep writing now that I'm into it again. ^_^ Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter (I suck at writing battles) and please tell me if there's a mistake/anything I can improve on. Thanks for reading!**


	23. New Social Link! Woo!

**Tuesday, 5/3 (Early Morning)**

Yes! A day off from school! Today's Constitution Day or whatever. I decided to watch videos for an hour or so. It was boring.

**(Daytime)**

I finally went downstairs.

"Morning," Nanako greeted.

"Hey," I said. Suddenly the doorbell rang._ Who is it?_ It was Chie.

"Oh, cool, you're home," she said with a grin.

"What's up?" I asked.

"If you're free today, wanna go somewhere?" Chie asked me. "Yukiko's coming, too. How 'bout you, Nanako-chan? Wanna come?"

"Um…." Nanako muttered.

"Come with us, Nanako," I said brightly.

"Huh? I-I can come?" she said, surprised.

"Of course you can!" Chie exclaimed.

"Then let's go," I shouted, marching out the door with Nanako in tow.

We met up with Yosuke, who's still working, and Yukiko, who finished her work back at the inn.

"Why'd you bring poor Nanako-chan to a place like this on Golden Week?" Yosuke muttered.

"Where else is there to go?" Chie replied.

"I love Junes!" Nanako exclaimed, giving everyone a bright smile.

"N-Nanako-chan…!" Yosuke said with a look of admiration.

"But we were supposed to go on a real trip somewhere," Nanako muttered. "We were going to make boxed lunches."

"Wow! You can make boxed lunches, Nanako-chan?" Yukiko inquired. Nanako shook her head and looked at me.

"Oh, so you're the family cook? Pretty impressive, 'big sis*'!" Chie laughed.

"Big… sis," Nanako repeated.

"Whoa, you can cook?" Yosuke asked, looking a little bit surprised. "Well, you do seem to be great with your hands—Um, never mind." I looked at him suspiciously for a second._ What?_

"I-I'm a pretty good cook too, you know…. Probably…" Chie stammered.

"'Probably,'" I repeated slowly, giving her a joking smile.

"If you'd asked, I would've whipped up some boxed lunches. Easy as pie! Yeah…" Chie yelled unconvincingly, ignoring my comment.

"Uh, lemme think about—No," Yosuke said.

"What makes you think I can't cook!? Let's have a cook-off and see for ourselves!" Chie demanded, looking a bit pissed.

"I'd like to see that!" I laughed.

"My, my, doth the lady protest too much?" Yosuke asked sarcastically. "And hey, I never said I cooked. But I have this weird feeling… like I'd win anyway."

"Ahaha, I can understand that," Yukiko chuckled.

"What the—Yukiko!" Chie cried, sending a glare at her best friend.

"Here, Nanako-chan can be our judge," Yosuke said, winking at my cousin.

"Hey! You guys might kill her!" I jokingly protested.

"Shut up, Misaki!" Chie yelled.

"I bet we'll make something that ranks up there with your mom's cooking, Nanako-chan!" Yosuke told her, smiling brightly._ Uh-oh._

I glanced at my young cousin. I knew this was a touchy subject for her.

"I don't have a mom. She died in an accident," Nanako explained sadly. My three friends looked at her, eyes wide. I winced._ Crap._

"Hey, Yosuke," Chie scolded quietly.

"I-I see…. Um…" Yosuke muttered, looking uncomfortable. He looked down. "Sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay," Nanako said, smiling slightly. "Even if I didn't have a mom, I have Dad with me…. And now I have a sister, too. And I'm having a lot of fun today! I love Junes!"

"Y-yeah? That's good," Yosuke said.

"We'll play with you anytime you want, Nanako-chan!" Chie exclaimed.

"Yeah, we should hang out more often," Yukiko agreed.

"C'mon, Nanako-chan. Let's go get a soda!" Yosuke offered. He and Nanako walked away.

"She's a strong girl…" Yukiko commented. I nodded.

"Yeah. She makes me feel like I'm the little kid here," Yukiko's best friend said. "That's it, I'm gonna go get something for Nanako-chan too!" So she and Yukiko walked off as Nanako ran back.

"Do you want something too?" she asked, beaming at me.

Suddenly time froze._ Ugh. This again._

This time the card had a picture of a black scale. On one side of the card was a red background; on the other was a white background. The number on the bottom was VIII (8). The Justice Arcana.

Time unfroze.

"Want some takoyaki?" Nanako asked brightly.

"Uh, sure!" I answered, walking with Nanako to where my other friends were at.

So we hung around Junes for the rest of the day, doing some random shopping and making fun of Chie's cooking skills.

I watched Chie get some ingredients to make fried rice. I shivered at the thought of her finished fried rice. Nanako will surely die if she ate that.

**(Evening)**

I visited the shrine and gave the lady dressed in white (who creeped the f*ck out of me) a red goldfish, and she gave me a Kingyou Stone. Then I walked around for a bit before spotting Yosuke. Quickly, I jumped behind a mailbox and checked to see if I had a Magician Persona. I did._ Whew._

"Hey!" I called, jogging up to him.

"Yo, we meet again," he greeted. He stretched. "Another exhausting day. I was dealing with complaints all day…"

"Sounds tough," I replied.

"Ooh, a sympathetic spirit?" he chuckled. "Both the customers and part-timers were making demands, haha. Well, better this than sitting around bored. I can't get my mind off certain things whenever I have a spare moment…" I didn't know what to say. Well, I definitely didn't want to talk about Saki-senpai… or ask him what the hell he was talking about.

"That must be tough," I said after a second of silence.

"Oh, th-thanks…. You really are mature, huh. I notice you never pry when it comes to stuff like this." I chuckled.

"I respect people's privacy," I deadpanned.

"Argh! Enough about this, though!" he yelled. "Why do I get the feeling this is going to turn into a depressing conversation?" I laughed. "Oh yeah, would you be interested in working at Junes? We're pretty understaffed right now, so…."

We just chatted for a while. Yosuke seemed a bit… what's the word… troubled? Yeah, that's it.

"Crap, how long have we been talking here? We should both be getting home," Yosuke said. "Oh yeah. Here, have this. I've heard it's pretty good." He gave me a Caramel Drop. "Well, see ya!" He ran off, leaving me standing here, feeling guilty. Everyone's giving stuff to me and I haven't repaid them yet. I sighed and made my way back home, wondering about what I should give them.

***I have no idea what to have Nanako call Misaki. I hope it isn't too weird...**

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><p><strong>AN: YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH I FINALLY UPLOADED! WOOOOOO! LET'S PARTY! Sorry for the long wait, guys! I assure you I'm not dead.**

**I was pretty busy being sick (couldn't sleep for a couple of nights cause of the STUPID F*CKING COUGH), summer school (chemistry sucks so far), playing games, being bored... what else... oh yeah. Writer's block (this sucks. A lot).**

**Getting back to Persona was quite nice. XD When I resumed P4G (Persona 4 Golden for those who don't know. Most of you must be thinking, "OMG I KNOW THAT ALREADY." But there are some people [like me] that aren't good with acronyms. *high five to those people* So this is the end of one of the longest parentheses thingy I've ever written [probably]... with brackets because why not. {:D} And these squiggly thingies that look like parentheses. BECAUSE WHY NOT :D).**

**Thanks for your patience! I'll try my best to pump out as many chapters as I can (I'm getting the feel for it now). *bows* Oh yeah! And please tell me if I made any mistakes! If I find one that no one has mentioned... you're all screwed. *evil eye***

**I'm just kidding! But please tell me if I made any mistakes. I'll be very sad if I find one and no one else mentions it because 1. They skipped over it (this is actually okay, buuuut whatever. Still putting this on the list) 2. They don't feel like doing it (whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy) 3. They're too nice (pleeeaasseee be a little meaner. Just a tiny bit. I NEED THE CRITIQUES) 4. (some other reason)**

**ANNNDDDDDDDDDDDD I decided to continue the reviewer shout-outs becaaaaaauuuuuseeeeeeeee shout-outs. Yes that's my reason. Shout-outs. IT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE (please read this sarcastically. I know it's hard to make out the sarcasm in text so I decided to put this note here. :D).**


	24. Yukiko Jr?

**Wednesday, 5/4 (Daytime)**

Crap! I woke up late! I quickly checked my phone and sighed in relief. Today's Nature Day, so we have the day off from school. I doubted that I'll be this lucky next time. Suddenly, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Yo, it's me!" Yosuke said. "I tried calling you earlier but you wouldn't pick up."

"Uh… haha… uh…. Woops!" I chuckled nervously. "I was probably sleeping. I usually sleep like a brick." I gave him another nervous laugh.

"Uh huh…" he muttered. "Anyway, this might be kinda weird after we hung out yesterday, but do you wanna hang out again today? I'll see if I can find someone else to come along with us."

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… I'll pass. Sorry." I scratched the back of my head and looked sheepish, not realizing that Yosuke couldn't see me through the phone. He sighed.

"I see… I was thinking we could hang out with Nanako-chan, but I know it'll be annoying if I keep asking you guys to do stuff. See ya later." He hung up.

I felt bad declining his offer, but I've got some stuff to do today. At least I didn't wake up too late.

_Time to sell my dungeon loot,_ I thought, grabbing my pack with a whole bunch of random stuff dropped by the Shadows._ I'm gonna become rich after I sell all of this._

I sold all of my stuff and bought some Chain Mail for Yukiko.

After I went out of the store, I realized I totally forgot what I was going to do._ Daaaang iiiiittt…._

I decided I'd walk around for a bit and maybe it'll pop up.

I found myself at the Samegawa Flood Plain, so I strolled down the path until I walked past a man.

"Hey you, are you from around here?" the man asked me.

"Huh? Uh… yeah…" I answered uncertainly.

"Could I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you know about the Mori Ranmaru? Years ago, I was the manager of the Konishi Liquor Store, right here in this town's very shopping district. But, I kind of lost the will to do business and I quit my job as the manager. Anyway…. To be honest, I shouldn't have come out here to the country, but I can't go back home empty-handed you know? You're from around here, aren't you?"

"I just said I wa—" I began.

"Do you think you could find a Mori Ranmaru for me? I was supposed to be managing the 'Local Products' section of Konishi-san's store. I don't know much about the area, and I can't bear to go back in there, so…. Could you look for it for me? I'll even give you a fitting award. How about it?" he pleaded, looking at me with weird puppy eyes.

"Um… I think I might have it…" I muttered, rummaging through my bag. Daidara wouldn't buy this, so I kept it in there. I finally managed to pull the bottle out of my bag and gave it to the man.

"Here you go," I said.

"Thank you very much!" he exclaimed, handing me 4,000 yen.

"Uh… thanks," I replied. Then, I made my way back to the central shopping district, vigorously trying to remember what I was supposed to do._ Oh yeah!_ I was gonna hang out with Chie today… and give the boy a drink.

Quickly, I checked to see if I had a Chariot Persona. I didn't.

Sighing, I dismissed Sandman and went into the Velvet Room.

_What?_ I thought as calm, eerie music came from a small radio.

"Do you enjoy it?" Margaret asked. "It's called 'Aria of the Soul.'"

"Oh… uh… I guess it sounds nice," I answered uncertainly. "A-Anyway, I need to register my Personas." Margaret registered them. Then I checked the Compendium, bought Ara Mitama, and exited the Velvet Room.

I went to the shrine, gave the boy The Natural, and got 2 ladybugs in return.

"Hey Chie," I called, walking over to her.

"Oh, Misaki-chan…. Don't you think this is cool?" she asked excitedly. "That shine, those curves…. Man I want that helmet."

"Uh… yeah…. It looks pretty cool. Anyway, wanna hang out?" I asked.

"Yeah, let's go!" Chie answered, dragging me somewhere.

We arrived at the Samegawa River so that we could train again.

"Alllllright! Today's the day!" Chie shouted, pumping her fist into the air.

"Uh… for what?" I mumbled as Nanako walked up to us.

"Oh, Nanako-chan!" Chie greeted.

"Hi," I said.

"What are you doing?" Nanako inquired.

"Training, of course!" Chie replied, upbeat.

"Training…" Nanako mused. "Who are you fighting with, Chie?"

"Something!" I answered, smiling brightly.

"Shut up!" Chie hissed at me. "Hmmm…. I'm fighting against… myself… I guess? Heheh, just kidding!"

"Wow, cool!" Nanako exclaimed.

"Y-You think?"

"Oh, a grasshopper!" Nanako said, pointing at it.

"Huh!? N-No way! Wh-Where!?" Chie cried.

"It just landed on your back," Nanako deadpanned. Chie shrieked, clawing at her back.

"Get it off! Get it off me!" she screamed, looking panicked. And here I stood, trying not to laugh my head off as Nanako took the grasshopper off Chie's back. I'm a great friend (*nods vigorously*).

"You don't like grasshoppers?" Nanako asked, looking a tiny bit sad.

"I'm no good with anything with thin, jointed legs!" Chie replied, shuddering a bit. "Or anything creepy or squirmy!"

"Man, you're worse than me," I chuckled. She glared at me.

"Ack, now I can't get 'em out of my mind! I can't stand those things!" yelled Chie.

"Chie, calm down," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"But they're cute…" Nanako muttered, looking at the grasshopper in her hand.

"You're like Yukiko…" Chie mused and glanced at me. "Oh, see, 'cause Yukiko's fine around bugs."

"Really?" I asked. She didn't look like the type who would tolerate bugs to me.

"Yeah. But me, I totally lose it…. Kinda funny, huh?"

"Uh…... It's…. Uh…. Cute….?" I mumbled. "Wait! No! No! That's not what I meant! I-I don't know what's coming out of my mouth!" I grabbed my head and shook it._ What the hell am I saying!?_ "I swear I'm not a lesbian*!"

"Uh, hey…. Wh-What are you saying!?" she demanded, looking panicked.

"A lot of kids in my class don't like bugs," Nanako assured Chie. "It's not just you. Don't worry!"

"Nanako-chan…. Ooh you don't know how happy that makes me. Thanks!" Chie said. "C'mon, you wanna train, too?" She went into a fighting stance.

"Okay!" Nanako replied, smiling brightly.

"Let's start with form. I'll teach you kata….." Chie explained.

We began training for a bit before I sent Nanako home. I didn't want her out when it got dark.

"I'm gonna get over my fear of bugs," Chie said suddenly with a determined look on her face. "I don't wanna look like a sissy next to Nanako-chan! All I have to do is think of them as Shadows! Then I'll be able to grab a whole fistful!" She went silent for a moment as I shuddered. "I-I just gave myself goosebumps…" she muttered. I burst out laughing. "G-Getting used to bugs might take a while, but I won't lose to Shadows."

"Hell yeah!" I managed to shout before I doubled over, laughing.

"What's so funny!?" Chie demanded.

"I-I… don't… know…" I continued to laugh.

"You're hopeless…" she muttered. "You're basically Yukiko Jr." I laughed even harder at that. I could barely breathe. "C'mon! We have some training to do!"

"O-Okay…"

We managed to get some training done before parting ways and going home.

**(Evening)**

I decided to go fishing tonight, so I grabbed my fishing rod and bucket, then went outside.

I arrived at the riverbank when I suddenly realized something. I forgot to get the ladybugs… I think. Dropping my bucket, I dug into my pocket, hoping I could find the ladybugs. A few seconds later, I pulled them out, feeling relieved.

I cast my line and waited. A few minutes later, I felt a pull on the rod. Quickly, I jumped up and pulled the rod backwards. A few seconds later, I placed the Amber Seema into the bucket. I cast my line again and caught a Gengi Ayu. Then I ran out of bait, so I went home, feeling tired. I think I laughed too much today.

***I have NOTHING against lesbians. Okay? Okay. [Please dont hate me...]**

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><p><strong>AN: Woo! Another chapter posted! Did you guys catch a change I made? It's tiny, but it's there. Tell me what you think it is. I'll reply to you to tell you if it's right or wrong... unless you're a guest, then I'll tell you in the next chapter (sorry!).**

**Shout-outs to (Guest) PersonaOtaku, mewmewlover23, SHSLAwesome, and pikmaster5. Thanks for reviewing! :D**

**Oh! And before I forget, I posted a poll on my profile. Please vote on it! XD It's about the pairings... Misaki x ? Ooooh... Interesting... So yeah! Go vote! Woo!**

**Please tell me if you saw any mistakes! Thanks for reading! ^_^**


	25. The Weird Fox

**Thursday, 5/5 (Daytime)**

I didn't have any plans today, so I decided to go somewhere I usually don't go. I went to the Yasoinaba Station first.

It's completely empty and boring. Sighing, I went and bought a TaP Soda. I opened it up and downed it, then tossed it into a trash can.

_Where should I go next?_ I wondered._ Whatever, I'll go to the shrine._

The shrine was completely empty, too. The shrine didn't seem to be well-maintained. It was boring, so I decided to go home.

_Wait._

I whipped around and searched the premises.

_Someone's watching me. Who the hell is it?_

I reached for my sword before realizing that I didn't have it with me. I mean—a teenager can't just carry a sword around in the real world.

It took me a few seconds to spot a fox on the roof. The fox jumped down in front of me and stared at me.

_What's that…?_ I wondered as I studied the "ema" plaque. The fox nudged the ema into my hand.

It read, "Please help Grandpa's legs get better. –Keita."

"Why'd you give it to me?" I asked the fox. I turned the ema around and found an unusually shaped leaf stuck on the back of it.

_What kind of leaf is this?_ I took it off and inspected it.

"What's this?" I asked the fox. It simply stared at me. I sighed. Of course a fox wouldn't be able to talk. I think my head is still messed up from going into the T.V. world.

Suddenly, the fox stiffened and ran away.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going!?" I called as an old man walked up to me.

"Oh, not every day you see young'uns like you around here," he said.

"Uh… hi," I greeted nervously.

"Nobody lives here anymore," he continued. "I come by to tidy things up once in a while, but lately my legs are so achy, I just can't do it. I've been tryin' to get this place up to snuff, but there just isn't enough money to go around. Well, I s'pose I'll pay my respects. If my legs don't heal, I can't maintain the shrine. That, and… I won't be able to visit Keita anymore. He's my grandson, y'know."

My eyes widened slightly._ "Keita."_ It was the name of the person who had written on the ema. The old man looked shocked all of a sudden.

"Hmm!? What's that you got in your hand there? Could it be…!? That leaf…! That's it! Way back when, my grandmother always used to say a leaf shaped like that was the best kind of remedy out there. Ah, what memories!

"But how'd you get your hands on this!? I didn't think you could find those in the mountains anymore."

"Um… I got it from a f—" I began before I saw the fox staring at me. It seemed to be telling me,_ Shut the f*ck up._ "Uh… forget I said anything."

"P-Please, young lady! Can I trouble you to spare me that leaf!?" he pleaded, looking at me with desperate eyes. I nodded and handed him the leaf. He folded up his pants legs and stuck the leaf onto his leg.

"Ooh, this is it, this is it…. Now let's see here…" he muttered. His face suddenly lit up. "Oooh, I can feel it! It's working! Amazing! The pain I've been feeling for who knows how long—it just up and vanished!"

My eyes widened._ What!?_

"Hm…?" Hrmmm…!? Why, I feel better than I have in years! You really helped me out, young lady! I'm so grateful! Now I can go visit my grandson! I'd better pay thanks to the shrine for bringing us together like this!" The old man ran to the offertory box like a track star and dropped in some money. Then, he ran out of the shrine.

_What… the… hell…? HOW THE HELL DID THAT LEAF DO THAT!? Probably magic._

The fox ran out, looking at me with a contented expression. It seemed to understand that the wish on the ema has been granted. Then it peered into the offertory box as if to check the contents. It even seemed to understand that the shrine has received an offering.

_This fox… is hella smart!_ I thought, staring at it in amazement.

The fox turned around and yipped at me. It seems to like me. I squatted and slowly moved my hand toward its head. It looked at me warily. Then, even more slowly, I placed my hand on its head. The fox didn't move. I started rubbing its head affectionately. It glanced at my hand.

"Uh… you don't like it?" I asked it as I took my hand away. Quickly, it nudged its head into my palm. I broke into a smile. "Oh, so you_ do_ like it." I rubbed it some more.

Suddenly, it broke away and ran off somewhere.

"Where are you going?" I asked. It came back with a mouthful of the same leaves as the one I gave to the old man. "You have a collection of these…?" It yipped and nodded, looking at me mirthfully. I looked back at it suspiciously. "What now?" It looked at my hand. I laughed and rubbed its head some more. "Man, you like the rubs, don't you?" The fox nodded.

Time stopped. Again. I sighed. It's getting old.

The card had a red and purple background. There was an eye on the bottom and a large, yellow ball behind a lantern of some sort. It had the Roman numeral IX. The Hermit tarot card.

Time unfroze.

"Uh… where did you find the leaves?" I asked the fox as if nothing happened. Although, for it, nothing actually happened. I think. It didn't answer._ Of course._

Suddenly, I realized something. These leaves could be real helpful on the "other side."

The fox yipped and ran a circle around me, then gestured toward the offertory box.

"You want me to pay you to heal us?" I muttered. It nodded eagerly. I sighed._ Figures_.

It walked toward me and demanded another rub. Smiling, I returned the ema back to the shrine and rubbed the fox some more going home.

**(Evening)**

"The prime suspect in yesterday's ATM robber in northern Inaba was arrested…" the news reporter said.

"I'm home," a familiar voice said.

"Hi, Uncle," I greeted, munching on a snack. Dojima sighed.

"How many days is he gonna call in sick? These rookies lately sure are—" Dojima began as Nanako tackled him.

"Welcome back!" she said joyfully.

"Nanako… I'm sorry I broke my promise again…" Dojima muttered, looking sad and regretful.

"Oh, um, my big sis and her friends played with me instead," Nanako replied.

"I see…. Thanks," Dojima told me.

"Haha, no problem!" I said, looking sheepish.

"Oh, that's a Junes bag! What's in it?" Nanako inquired. Her father chuckled and rummaged through the bag.

"Good eye. Well, today is Children's Day…. So I brought you a present," he answered, pulling out a shirt. He handed it to her.

"Yay!" Nanako exclaimed, happily accepting the shirt. "Oooh, a t-shirt."

"Hahaha, it took me a while to decide what to get you. You like it?"

"Oh wow, there's a picture on the front! That's so funny! Ahaha, yay!"

Dojima rummaged through the bag again.

"I got you one, too," Dojima told me. "Not that you're still a child or anything, but fair's fair." He handed me something.

"Sometimes, I wanna be a child," I joked. Dojima laughed as I looked at my gift. It was a one-piece bathing suit with an odd design on it. I liked it instantly. "Thanks, Dojima-san!" I said, giving him a huge smile.

"Don't mention it. I thought you might need one soon. Well then… let's eat."

"Okay!" Nanako piped in.

I spent a pleasant evening with the Dojimas.\

It was a rare occasion for me…. It's not every day my family sat together and ate like this. Most of the time, my parents ignored each other. And if they did talk to each other, it would be because they wanted to yell at each other. Most of the time, if they couldn't hold it in anymore, they yelled at me. It's painful.

If they're not working 12 hours a day, they'd be cooped up in their rooms or going out with their friends, trying to ignore each other. I had always wondered why they didn't divorce. It was probably for my sake.

Since my parents were always working or out with their friends, I had to do everything by myself. Cooking, laundry, washing dishes, mopping the house…. Everything.

Sure, they took me out sometimes, but never as a family. It was always one or the other.

And I was always jealous of other kids. They had parents who got along.

I felt pissed every time a kid ignores their parents, or when they push their moms away whenever they kissed their children.

My mom had not given me a loving kiss in about 10 years, nor did she hug me. So, unlike most kids, I craved for it. Weird, huh?

Family time was nonexistent in my household, and that's why I had cherished every moment in the Dojima residence.*

***Okay, look. I'm not trying to start a pity-party for Misaki. It's just her past. And I'm not ignorant enough to not know that there are other kids who've had it a lot worse than her.**

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><p><strong>AN: Woo! Man, I uploaded, quick, didn't I? XD Shout-out to mewmewlover23 for reviewing! I'm really getting back into Persona now! Woo!**

**The change in the last chapter, is when they stutter ("H-He did...") instead of making it like this: "H-he...", I made it like this: "H-He..." ... Yeah it's a pretty subtle difference, but it's still a difference! XP**

**I felt like I should put some more of Misaki's past here, because why not? XP Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and please review! Thanks for reading!**

**... I just realized I never gave a description of how my character looks like. So I'm going to ask you guys a question. Do you want Misaki to look like the main character or not? Please tell me!**

**... Please...?**


	26. First Day at Daycare Job!

**Friday, 5/6 (Early Morning)**

"Yo!" called Yosuke, walking his old squeaking bike up to me. "Dammit, I just fixed this thing…. It's making squeaking sounds again."

"Well… maybe you need a new one…" I muttered.

"Huh? Yeah..." he mumbled.

"Hey, by the way…. I'm sorry about the other day…. You know, about what I said to Nanako-chan. After hanging out with Nanako-chan, I feel even stronger that we have to solve this case." I chuckled.

"I'm counting on you," I said, giving him a wide grin.

"Hehe…. Same to you!" Yosuke said.

"Y'know, Chie and Yukiko seem different lately…. They're a lot closer….

"Oh yeah, I was just curious, but are you…. Ehh, never mind. If we keep chatting, we're gonna be late." He groaned. "Man, school's such a chore. And now my bike's messed up too. The roads are much wider here than in the city, so I keep speeding. I guess that did it. Oh well. Until I get my motorcycle license, I'll just have to walk." He looked at the floor.

**(Lunchtime)**

"Word up, Misaki. Wanna hang out later?" Yosuke offered.

"I'll think about it," I answered.

"Really? Okay." He walked away. Chie came after.

"Yooo, whatcha doin'? Hey, if you have some free time after school, hang out with me. Think about it, alright?" Chie said before walking off.

_When did I become so popular…?_

**(After School)**

"Ugh…. Why do the holidays have to end so fast…?" Chie groaned.

"At least they were peaceful," Yosuke said.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"I listened in on the housewives gossiping at Junes, but it doesn't seem like anything happened. And I haven't heard anything about someone disappearing suddenly, either. Y'think Yukiko could been the last of the victims?"

"I highly doubt that," I answered.

"Hmm…" Chie muttered.

"I don't know," Yukiko said. "But we shouldn't relax as long as the culprit remains at large."

"You can say that again," I said.

"I wonder…. Will someone show up on T.V. again if it rains?" Yosuke murmured. "If we only knew a little more about who the killer might be."

"Eh, it's no good fretting over it now," Chie piped up. "If someone does show up on the Midnight Channel, then we'll deal with it. It's supposed to start raining soon, but I hope this weather holds through next week…. You know…. Midterms."

"Ugh, you had to go and bring that up," Yosuke sighed. "I don't wanna think about it." Chie let out a sigh.

"I wish I had Yukiko's gift for studying…" she muttered wistfully. "Hey Yosuke, why don't you have Yukiko go over some of the material with you?"

"Hm? Oh, that's right. Yukiko's ranked at the top on every exam," Yosuke said.

"R-Really!?" I exclaimed, looking at Yukiko with awe. She blushed.

"Maybe I should ask her for some private lessons," Yosuke continued.

"P-Private lessons!?" Yukiko exclaimed.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Yosuke asked with a confused look on his face. Yukiko stepped closer to him and slapped him. I winced.

"You okay, Yosuke?" I asked._ Yep… girls are mean…_

"I-I'm fine…. But what as that for!?" Yosuke demanded. "I'm just asking you to help me study…"

"Oh, I'm sorry…. You were talking about studying…" Yukiko said apologetically. "I thought it might've been an off-color joke. Our inn has had some strange visitors lately.

_Oh. No wonder she acted so… rashly._

"If you thought it was a joke, then just shrug it off!" Yosuke snapped.

"Sorry. My hand moved without thinking…"

_Oh…. Well I'd better watch my tongue around her, then. I don't wanna be slapped._

"Geez…. Thanks a lot, Chie, for bringing up the whole studying thing."

"What did I do!?" Chie demanded. "You're the one who made it sound creepy and wrong! 'Private lessons,' huh?"

"Wha—then it's mostly my fault!?" Yosuke asked. The two of them started yelling at each other.

"Oh… I should start heading home." Yukiko said.

"Oh… okay. See ya, Yukiko-san!" I said, giving her a small wave as she left the classroom. Chie and Yosuke finally stopped yelling at each other and split up.

_Okay… what do I need to do today…?_ I thought, rubbing my chin._ Oh yeah!_

I walked up to the girl that wanted me to get her an angel statue.

"Ah…. Even with Golden Week to distract me I'm dreading the midterms that are coming up…" the girl mumbled. "I always get worried and study a lot, but I usually do all right…."

"Um… excuse me," I said.

"O-Oh! Is there something you need?" the girl replied.

"Here's your Angel Statue," I said, rummaging through my bag. A few seconds later, I pulled it out and handed it to her.

"W-Wow!" she exclaimed. "Th-Thank you so much! Here, this is my… 'key,' as thanks." She handed me three chest keys. "Th-They're pretty, so I kept them as lucky charm…. Please keep them!"

"Uh… thanks," I replied, bowing slightly to her before exiting the classroom.

_Next, the demon-loving guy._

* * *

><p>I walked up to him and handed him the Demon Statue. "Here you go. Got the statue for you."<p>

"Ah! Incredible!" the boy yelled. Suddenly, he laughed really loudly and evilly. I shuddered. "How spectacular! I can feel the palpitation of my heart! I'm so excited, I could trace the mystic hex around you and enter you into a contract with the great unknown!"

_I think I'm already entered into a contract with this weird old man with a super long nose in a blue limousine. Not only that, but I'm trying to solve a murder that involves summoning these weird beings by smashing a floating blue card and beating the crap out of weird black blobs…. I don't think I need to enter another contract,_ I thought.

"….Erm, excuse me. Here is the reward, just as promised," the boy said, handing me three Dokudami Teas.

Then I went to the Practice Building to give the building fanatic his ritz wire.

"Hey you, do you now about crystal radios?" he asked. "They're really not that hard to build, if you have the right materials and an antenna. I made one when I was in grade school. I found it last year when I was cleaning my house. It really brought back memories…. Maybe I'll make another one."

"Well… here's the ritz wire you've been wanting," I said, handing it to him.

"Thank you. Now that I have this I can finally finish my new radio!" he exclaimed. "Please, take this. I don't know if it's enough to really thank you, but…" He gave me some Olympic Tape. "You're amazing! If anything else comes up, I'll be sure to ask for your help"

"I look forward to it…" I muttered.

_What else do I need to do…? Oh yeah! I need to talk to the boy on the roof!_

So, I made my way up there

* * *

><p>"Huh? What's the matter?" the boy asked. He's… pretty cute….<p>

"Uh… what are your hobbies?" I asked.

"I don't know…. Playing with animals, I guess," he answered.

"I see," I replied. The boy didn't say anything else. He just… tuned me out. I guess I'll just have to ask another time.

_Are there new books for sale? Let's find out!_

* * *

><p>I went inside the shop. It was quite small and dusty. I glanced around, seeing very few customers. Actually… I might be their only customer for today other than that avid reader over there….<p>

I picked up the two new books, "Off Today," and "Office Work Manual."

_Now… let's see what the boy wants to drink this time. But first… Velvet Room._

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Margaret greeted. I glanced around.<em> Huh? Marie's not here….<em> I glanced at the floor and found a note of some sort. "If you are looking for Marie, I sent her on an errand. She should be back soon."

"I… I see," I said, eyeing the note. I gave in to my curiosity and picked it up.

"Oh…. What is that?" Margaret asked. "She must have dropped it." She chuckled. I shrugged.

"Waaaaaah! Wait, nooo!" a familiar voice cried. Marie appeared out of nowhere a frantically snatched the paper out of my hands. She growled. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "I mean…. What are you doing!?" She was silent for a moment before shooting me an icy look. I froze. "…. Did you look?"

"N-No, I didn't!" I cried, waving my hands in front of me.

"O-Oh…. You didn't? Really?" I nodded vigorously._ Man she's scary! Holy crap!_ "Then… that's good." She looked very relieved. I relaxed, too. "Just…. Just forget this happened! All of it!" I immediately tensed up and nodded. "I'm hypnotizing you now! Sleep, sleep! You didn't see anything! Now, wake up!" she ordered. I grabbed my mouth and stomach, trying very hard not to laugh… but a snort escaped anyway. Luckily, she didn't notice.

Margaret chuckled. "This is quite an interesting reaction. Is what is on the paper really that embarrassing?" Margaret questioned, her golden eyes twinkling in amusement. "…. Excuse us. Now, once again: Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"Welcome, my butt…. That was close," Marie muttered under her breath. She returned to her seat and fidgeted restlessly.

"Ahem, anyway, I want to buy Ara Mitama," I said. I had dismissed him to make room for another Persona, but I wanted him back now. Then, I exited the Room.

* * *

><p>I accepted the Translator job and the Origami Crane Folder job. Then I went to the shrine.<p>

* * *

><p>The boy wanted an Orange Smash, so I bought him some. He gave me one ladybug in return.<p>

I noticed the old man whose legs had healed after I gave him that leaf. I walked up to him.

"Hey! If it isn't the girl who gave me the leaves that one time!" he said loudly. "Thanks to you, I can play with my grandchildren. You really helped me out! Praise to the gods here who brought the two of us together! I started maintaining the shrine again, since it's not doing so good. I wanted to make it better, but I don't have the money. That's why I decided to put a relationship fortune box here as a little fundraiser. Normally, we only put it out on special occasions like New Year's, but this is for the gods! We get the fortunes from a shrine famous for its relationship fortunes, so they're bound to work!"

_Man, he talks a lot…_.

"You should take one. I'm sure you'll get closer to whoever you're interested in. oh, but we put the box away on rainy days, so be careful. Now, I gotta go play with my grandkid again! See you!" The old man ran off like a track star. I still couldn't believe how that leaf made his legs better so quickly….

_Well… since I'm here, I might as well see which ema the fox wants me to fulfill._

I called the fox down after making sure no one was in the area. It jumped down and landed behind me. I whipped around and saw an ema in its mouth. I grabbed it and studied it. The ema was written in rounded characters… probably a young girl's handwriting.

"I want things to go well with the person I like!" it read. I read it a few more times, then gave the ema back to the fox.

"I'll try my best to fulfill it," I told it, rubbing its head. It yipped and pulled away after a minute. It seemed to be telling me, "Hurry up and fulfill it now."

"I got it, I got it," I replied, walking out of the shrine.

I figured that the girl would be at our school, since it's about boyfriend/girlfriend thing.

* * *

><p>I saw a girl in front of my shoe box.<p>

"Um… excuse me…" I muttered. She screamed.

"Wh-What?" she said. "Oh, you're the transfer student, Misaki…" She studied me for a second for a second before panicking. "Oh, I-I must have made a mistake! This is your shoe box!" She ran off._ Huh?_ There's something in my shoe box…

It was a note.

"Excuse me for writing this to you out of the blue," it read. "I held my emotions back all this time because I didn't want to disrupt your studies, but I just had to tell you…. I love you!" I sighed._ I don't wanna be involved in this!_ I glanced at it once more and found that it was addressed to someone else. Apparently, the girl put this in the wrong shoe box. Maybe she's the one who wrote the ema request…. Maybe I should talk to her when I see her next time.

I glanced at my phone. It was still pretty early, so I decided to go to the daycare center to start my part-time job.

* * *

><p>I was introduced to the kids as an assistant caretaker. They're extremely interested in me… I don't know if that's a good thing or not….<p>

"Miss, do you have a boyfriend?" a small boy asked._ What!? They already know about these things!? How fast do they grow!? What the heck!_

"Um… no…" I answered uneasily.

"Don't ask her that, you creep!" the girl next to him scolded. Another boy ran up to me.

"Let's play tag, Miss!" he said. "You're it!" He tagged me and ran away. I grinned and ran after them, making sure not to go too fast.

Then other children wanted me to play with them. Some of them started tugging at my apron, others my shirt or pants.

"Come play with me!" a girl cried.

"No, play with me!" another yelled. I sighed.

"P-Please calm down!" I pleaded desperately. I didn't know how to handle kids. A caretaker laughed and pulled some away gently.

"You'll get used to it," she assured me.

"I sure hope so…" I replied. The boy that tagged me before challenged me to an arm wrestle match. I won one, and let him win the second.

About an hour or two later, most of the kids left. There was only one boy remaining. It seemed his guardian hasn't come to pick him up. A day care supervisor walked up to me.

"How are things, Misaki-chan? Has everyone been picked up?" she inquired. I felt nervous. I was not good with authority figures, even if they're not exactly authority. Basically, I was just nervous around anyone that has a higher rank than me.

"Well… all of 'em except this boy," I answered, shifting nervously.

"Looks like Yuuta-kun is still here," she said._ So that's his name… Yuuta._ "It's always like this, though…" she continued._ Huh? "Always like this"?_

A nice-looking woman walked towards us. She had her brown hair pulled back, revealing her forehead. Her wavy hair was bundled up into a large pony tail. She searched around with her brown eyes. They finally landed on the boy. He quickly moved closer to me.

"…. Hi, Yuu-kun. I'm sorry I'm late," the woman apologized.

"…. Whatever," the boy replied._ That's rude..._ He ran away, and the woman looked at me.

"Are you… one of his supervisors?" she asked. I nodded. "I see…. I'm sure Yuu-kun will cause you trouble again, but please take care of him…" I nodded, and she turned around and followed the boy, who I assumed was her son.

"Yuuta Minami…" the supervisor mused. "He's full of energy during his play sessions…. Maybe too much energy. But once she arrives, he's a totally different kid…. She's his stepmother, so I guess it can't be helped."_ His stepmother, huh?_ I gave her a questioning look. "Yuuta-kun's father got remarried to that woman you just met," she explained.

"Oh."

"I heard she's from the city…. I really don't know what she's thinking. Perhaps that's why Yuuta-kun is a troublemaker at school, too…"_ Hmm… a troublemaker?_ "The other day, he…" The caretaker continued gossiping for a while. I quickly told her I had to leave. I finished my job and went home. I got 10,000 yen from my day care job._ Wow... this job pays well!_

**(Evening)**

****I tried going out tonight, but Dojima lectured me._ Crap… I need to get a night job to be able to go out at night…_

"Hey, Misaki," Dojima said. "How're things? You should be used to life here by now."

"Things are going okay," I said._ Minus the murder part, _I added.

"Haha, you bored? Well, have a seat," Dojima offered. I sat down in front of him. "We haven't had time to talk like this since you got here, huh?" I nodded. He hesitated, most likely casting about for a topic to discuss. "Uhhh…. Well, how's school?"

"It's fun," I answered.

"I see…. That's good to hear. Your school days will be over before you now it. Make sure you have fun while you can." Dojima nodded to himself. "What else…? Oh, yeah. How about your friends?" He went silent for a moment. "Looks like you've made plenty of 'em." He scowled. I had a bad feeling about this…. "I'm not saying who you can and can't hand out with, but…. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Huh. So you did notice." He nodded again. "For some reason, wherever there's an incident, there you are…. I wish I didn't have to consider this, but… the killings began around the time you came to town. My job is all about eliminating the random element. I look only at the facts. If you keep getting caught up in my job, then…." I stiffened._ This is not going well…._

Nanako walked up to us.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at us worriedly. "Big sis didn't do anything bad." Dojima looked a bit guilty all of a sudden.

"I-I know. I didn't mean it like that," he muttered.

"But you're bullying her…" Nanako said. I just stared at them, not knowing why she was defending me.

"I'm not bullying her. We were just having a little talk." He became quiet for a moment. "Go to sleep," he ordered quietly.

"…. Okay," Nanako said quietly, heading to her room.

"Sheesh," Dojima sighed. "She's really taking a shine to you. Look…. Just don't get yourself involved in anything dangerous."

_Too late, _I thought. Immediately, I felt guilty. I didn't want to lie to him… but… I had no choice.

"As long as you're safe, everything's fine," Dojima continued. "Your parents didn't ask me to raise your grades or anything." It seemed Dojima is genuinely worried about me. I gave him a small smile.

"I'll do my best," I said.

Everything froze…. Again.

This time, the card had a large black arrow pointing up on top of a blue background. Three lines with small flowers on the end of them went through it, getting shorter as it got near the tip. On the bottom left corner was a person that seemed to be offering something on top of a red background. The bottom right corner was the same, except it was on top of a white background. The top left corner had a key, with the circle part facing up. The top right corner was the same, only flipped. On the bottom was the Roman numeral V.

Everything unfroze.

"Things here might be a little different from what you're used to, but this is a good town," Dojima said, and I nodded. "Though it's a little dangerous right at the moment…. Now then, it's about time for you to turn in. Get some sleep. 'Night."

"G'night," I said, going to my room.

**A/N: This was a pretty long chapter! ^_^ Hope you guys enjoyed it! Anyway, what should Misaki look like!? Please tell me! Oh! And please vote on who Misaki's gonna pair up with on my profile! Thanks for reading! And shout-out to mewmewlover23, Guest, and (Guest) PersonaOtaku! :D**


	27. Update (pls know all team members)

**This update is OUTDATED.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is not a new chapter, sadly. This is an update on what's going on. Now, I know that I update really slowly nowadays (sorry about that. Had some stuff to do). During this time, I have been working on a Bonus. What's it about? I'm not telling you yet, but I'll give you a sneak-peak. Buuuut I'm pretty sure you guys will figure it out. ^_^**

**Now, before I show it to you, I need to ask you guys something. First of all, I need to know what Misaki looks like. ****Rwanime442** **gave me a suggestion (thanks!). But I need more. XP I'll choose the best one, or the one that people want the most. I'll decide later. XP**

**Second, if you haven't voted or told me in the reviews which pairings you wanted yet, please do so. I won't close it until one of the guys get intimate with her (which is gonna take a while). What ranks should the guys be when they get intimate? Well here's what I'm thinking:**

**Yosuke: Rank 6**

**Kanji: Rank 7**

**Teddie: Rank 6**

**Naoki: Rank 8**

**Kou: Rank 7**

**So what do you guys think? And did I miss anyone? Let me know! You can make some changes and stuff too. ^_^**

**Okay, next. Should Rise Kujikawa be gender-bent? Now, in this version of the Bonus, I didn't gender-bend her yet. Let me know if you want her gender-bent. FIY, I can't post the poll because I can only put up one poll at a time (it sucks T_T). If you DO want her gender-bent, please give me a guy name for her. Plus her guy "star name" (for example, Risette... but different). And give me what the gender-bent Rise will be like, too. I was thinking keeping her/him bubbly and stuff like Rise is now. Maybe she/he will be more... manly? Or still hanging on to Misaki? Who knows! You tell me! XD**

**Not only that, if you guys DON'T want Rise gender-bent, then tell me if you want her to be LESBIAN. Yes. I just said that.**

**If you guys want her to NOT be gender-bent OR lesbian, tell me how her social link should go. I don't need exact details. Just vaguely how she interacts with Misaki. Why am I asking this? Well, in her social link, she asks the MC to be her boyfriend, and I'm not creative enough to think of how to change it while keeping her the way she is.**

**One more thing. I am planning to switch perspectives sometimes in the main story. Not all the time. Just sometimes so that you guys can see her expressions and stuff more clearly and how the others react to them (I'm planning this one scene that involves part of the Investigation Team getting in trouble. XD Can't wait until we get there).**

**I'm also planning to do other Bonuses, like the lover's route for the other guys. Look forward to it! ^_^**

**Now the actual Bonus I am working on. Okay, so this is uploaded and updated on August 4, 2014. By the time this Bonus will actually be up, it might be completely different. Just throwing that out there.**

* * *

><p>Misaki heard a doorbell, so she got up and went to the door. It was pretty late, so Nanako had gone to sleep. Dojima wasn't home. He was working on the case again.<p>

Besides, she was expecting a package.

So she slowly made her way downstairs and opened the door. No one was outside. Just as warning bells sounded in her head, she was grabbed._ Crap!_ Suddenly someone put something in her mouth and she instantly blacked out.

**(Next Day, Morning)**

It was a day off, so Yosuke decided to check on her. Hopefully she's still okay.

* * *

><p>He knocked on the Dojima Residence door. The door opened very quickly, revealing Dojima. He looked panicked.<p>

"Have you seen Misaki?" he asked frantically.

"No… why? I was coming to check on her," Yosuke answered. He had a bad feeling… a_ really_ bad feeling.

"She disappeared," Dojima said.

_What!?_

Yosuke glanced inside and saw a worried-looking Nanako.

"When!?" Yosuke demanded, starting to look panicked himself.

"Nanako called and told me she was gone. I went home right away and didn't see her anywhere. I even checked her room," Dojima answered, breathless. "I have to look for her, so please excuse me." His face was worried and pained as he nudged past the teen and made his way to the car.

_She's… gone…._

As quickly as he could, Yosuke grabbed his phone and called Chie.

"What's up—" she began.

"She's gone!" he shouted before she could finish her sentence.

"What!?" she screamed.

"Dojima-san said she was gone when he came home morning!"

"Okay, I'll call Yukiko and Naoto! You call the others! We'll meet up at Junes!"

"Got it!"

"Misaki's gone!" Yosuke yelled through the phone, his voice panicked.

"W-What!?" Kanji shouted. But Yosuke had already hung up. Kanji needed to go to Junes, fast.

Kanji quickly threw on some clothes and sprinted out the door, yelling some excuse to his mom.

"She what!?" Rise yelped after hearing the news. There was no answer. She quickly hung up and ran to Junes.

"I'm on my way!" Naoto said, walking as quickly as she could to the meeting place.

"What!?" Yukiko almost screamed.

"Yeah! She's gone! Get to Junes!" Chie yelled, then hung up. Yukiko was out the door before Chie finished her sentence.

"Whaaaaaat!? That's beary bad!" Teddie yelled, dashing out the door.

**(Meanwhile)**

Misaki slowly woke up, feeling worse than ever._ Where am I…?_

She glanced around. She seemed to be in some kind of cave. Everywhere around her was dark except in her immediate vicinity._ Wait…._ She felt like she knew what this place was… the atmosphere was different than the real world….

Misaki realized she had been thrown into the T.V… by the killer, most likely.

She glanced around quickly, looking for an exit. There were none that she could see._ Well I guess I'll just have to blow a hole in it._

So she attempted to summon her Persona. The fiery card appeared in front of her, and she smashed it… but nothing happened. Her eyes widened._ What!?_ She tried again, but nothing happened._ What's going on!?_

Suddenly, she found herself staring into a pair of golden eyes.

"Hi there… Misaki Ishida," the person greeted, grinning evilly.


	28. Yosuke Goes into a Room

**Saturday, 5/7 (Early Morning)**

As I walked to school, I overheard some girls talking about the midterms…. Crap! I totally forgot about them!

_I'm screwed… _I thought dreadfully.

**(Morning)**

Mr. Hosoi (why the hell does he have the stupid puppet?) lectured us about "Kokoro" by Soseki Natsume. I took out my notebook and started taking notes. Suddenly he called my name.

"Y-Yes?" I squeaked.

"Do you know how Soseki Natsume translated the English phrase 'I love you' into Japanese?" he inquired. I hesitated for a moment.

"Um… it's 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it,' right?" I asked.

"Yep!" he said. "By the way, the person who translated it as 'I could die' was Shimei Futabatei, another prominent Meiji-era writer."

I quickly jotted down what he said. I mean… what happens if this stuff is on the midterms?

"Though he translated it from Russain, not English…. It's still similar in that they don't do direct translations," Mr. Hosoi continued. I jotted that down, too. Wouldn't want to miss this in case it's on the test…. Maybe I'm overthinking things….

**(After School)**

I stared at my notebook. It was filled with tons of barely readable chicken scratch. I hope I can read this later…. Then I flipped through the pages to see how much I had written… and found that I had written thousands of pages... okay maybe not thousands, but it's a lot. Alrighty then, time to highlight important stuff before I forget….

Dang it, the stupid thunder's not helping one bit. I wanted to yell, "Shut up!" at it.

"Hey Chie, I bought you a new copy of that 'Trial of the Dragon' flick," Yosuke told her, handing her a CD. "It was a Greatest Punches version for 980 yen. If I knew that, I'd have just replaced it instead of buying you grilled steak." Thunder rumbled again, but this time it was louder.

"Argh!" I yelled. "Shut up, thunder!" I ignored the stares the other students gave me and continued to highlight stuff.

"This is clearly getting closer…!" Chie whimpered.

"Huh…?" Yosuke asked, looking at her. "What are you, scared of a little lightning?"

"Quiet, you! I'd be a goner if even one of those things hit me!" Chie cried.

"Chie, I've heard that this guy was hit by lightning four times and still lives," I told her matter-of-factly. "You're gonna be fine." Thunder rumbled again, right after the flash of lightning. Chie winced and yelped.

"You're freakin' out way too much," Yosuke chuckled. "C'mon, shouldn't weather like this help with your kung fu training? A bolt of lightning would hit and it'd give you the inspiration for a new move! There was a scene like that in your DVD, wasn't t here?"

"You jerk! You don't even care how I feel!" Chie yelled. "If lightning has to strike someone, let it be this guy!" Lightning struck again, and the whole room went dark.

"Huh? Is this a blackout?" Yukiko asked.

_Nooooo; someone just turned off the lights just as the lightning struck,_ I thought sarcastically. Well… now that I think about it that can happen. Eh whatever. _Misaki, stop thinking about other stuff and highlight,_ I scolded myself.

"That's what you get for saying that stuff, Chie," Yosuke said. "Looks like I better hurry up and head to work. Depending on how produce sells today, I might get a little bonus in my pay for the week. This weather may keep customers away, but I gotta do my best if I'm gonna save up for a motorcycle!" Suddenly his phone rang. "It's from my manager..." He brought the phone up to his ear and asked, "Hello?" He was silent for a minute before a look of surprise crossed his face. "Wait, what!? But my pay—" He listened to him for a sec before piping in, "Wai—" He sighed and pocketed his phone. He glanced accusingly at Chie.

"What're you looking at me for!?" Chie demanded.

"Ugh, why did this have to happen!?" Yosuke yelled.

"Hey, Yukiko… can we just go home?" Chie pleaded, looking at her best friend with desperate, pleading eyes.

"Chie, do you know this story?" Yukiko asked mischievously. "A girl forgot her homework, so she snuck into school in the middle of the night, but she suddenly needed to use the bathroom…. She ventured into the girls' room, where all the lights were off. No one should have been there, but in the mirror…."

"Hold it right there! What're you talking about!?" Chie demanded.

_Aw… you just had to stop her when she was getting to the good part,_ I thought.

"Huh? It's a ghost story. I thought you liked them," Yukiko answered, looking surprised.

"Yeah, but why tell it now!?" Chie almost yelled, her voice pitching high at the last word. She looked like she's on the verge of tears.

"Calm down, Chie," I said. "It's gonna be all right. I mean, lightning rarely strikes people." She still didn't look convinced. "It can't be worse than being struck by Zio (I think)…. Just calm down. Nothing's gonna hurt you." I put a hand on her shoulder and flashed her a smile.

"Thanks… I'm glad you're here," Chie told me with a look of gratitude. Yosuke sighed deeply, shaking his head.

"Why don't you just have her escort you back home, Chie?" Yosuke suggested.

"A-Are you making fun of me!?" Chie snapped.

"Well, yeah. With how freaked out you are, can you blame me?" he answered.

_I appreciate the honesty…_ I thought.

Suddenly the lights turned back on.

"Oh, the power's back! C'mon, Yukiko, let's go home!" Chie cried gratefully. They left in a hurry.

"Well, I gotta go too," Yosuke said.

"Okay, see ya," I said, and gave him a small wave.

I walked out of the classroom and saw the girl who put the love letter in my shoe box.

"Oh…. You're…" she muttered before falling silent. "D-Did you read my letter?"

"…. Yeah, I did," I said, feeling guilty.

"H-H-How could you!? You jerk!" she yelled. "I didn't even have the courage to sign it, and yet a totally random person now knows my secret! Argh! What's the point of trying to be secretive anymore!? I've already embarrassed myself this much, I might as well go confess! How do you like that!?"

_Why the hell is she so pissed about this…? It's not like I told anybody about it…._

She ran off. I sighed, and headed toward the library. Might as well study. It's not like I got anything else I can do today anyway.

But first….

I entered the Velvet Room and found that Marie was gone. I glanced at the floor and found a piece of paper. Pretty sure this is Marie's.

…. Should I read it? I stared at it for a bit before giving in to my curiosity. Something was written on it with cute handwriting.

_Listen…_

_To my voice…_

_My shouting, bellowing voice…_

_Here I am_

_Pouring my blood into my words_

_Yelling at every edge of the world_

_I am the little mermaid…._

_Unable to return, the little mermaid…_

_Fated to foam, the little mermaid…_

Looks like a poem. A "beary"… unique one.

"Waaaaaaaah!" a familiar voice yelled. "D-Did you read it? You read it, didn't you!?" Suddenly, a flash of blue and white rushed past me and took the piece of paper with it. "N-No, it's not like that!" Marie cried. "It's, uh…. It's not a poem! Yeah!"

_Uh huh,_ I thought sarcastically.

"I'm yelling at the edge of the world that this is not a poem!" she cried.

"Yelling at the edge of the world"…. Sounds familiar.

"I-I don't know what I'm saying…. Words are just coming out…. I…" she muttered. "StupidIhateyoujerkIcan'tbelievethis. Don't read my things!" She blushed furiously. I'm pretty sure she wrote that poem. "But why was it on the floor…? I don't get it…" she murmured. I tried to keep a straight face while she returned sulkily to her seat. I'm pretty sure I failed.

"Anyway, I wanna fuse Archangel," I told Igor. He nodded and asked, "Which Personas do you want to fuse together?" I searched through my Persona "deck."

"Forneus and Omoikane," I answered. He nodded and asked me, "Which two skills do you want to pass on? You can pass on Bufu, Zio, Tarunda, Sukunda, Rakunda, or Tarukaja. Please pick two." I thought about it for a minute before telling him, "Rakunda and Tarukaja."

"Is this Persona acceptable?" Igor questioned. I nodded, and he began the fusion.

He waved his hand over the table and two cards appeared. I felt them leave my soul. They flipped over, revealing Forneus and Omoikane. Suddenly, a bright blue line appeared, connecting the two cards together. Then a blue circle appeared behind the card. It was filled with intricate patterns. With a flick of his wrists, the cards flew into each other and made a bright white light. It faded and revealed a Persona. It had some armor on. The Persona flapped its red angel wings and brandished its sword…. I think it's a guy.

"I am Archangel. I am with you on the path to glory!" he declared before fading. He filled with some power (Igor said it was from my Social Link) and became stronger. He learned a new skill called Media. Archangel had emerged from the sea of my soul… said Igor.

Well, I got what I wanted, so I left the Velvet Room.

I went to the school library. I tried not to fall asleep as I studied. Well… at least the thunder's keeping me awake.

I got stuck on a difficult problem for a bit. A few minutes later, I finally solved it, but it took a lot of slapping myself in the forehead and tapping my pencil. Suddenly I remembered I read Expert Study Methods, so I decided to use the tips the book gave me. It helped a lot.

**(Evening)**

"It stopped raining, but the thunder was loud!" Nanako exclaimed. "Were you scared, big sis?"

"Naw!" I said. "Uh… Nanako… you… uh… wanna… hang out?"

"Okay. Yay!" she said, beaming at me.

We just chatted for a while before I put her to bed.

**5/8, Sunday (Morning)**

I woke up remembering that I'd brought a portable gaming device.

_Find it, find it, find it,_ my brain chanted. I groggily sat up and dug through the boxes I had left out. After what felt like hours I finally found it: my portable gaming device, called the PMG, or "Portable Midnight Gaming."

"Yes!" I yelled. Before I could get my hopes up too high, I quickly plugged it in and hoped that it'd charge and work.

A few minutes later the screen lit up and the company's (the one that made the gaming device) logo appeared. It was a picture of a T.V. screen with a bear in it. Under the logo were the words, "Midnight Gaming." "Yes! It's alive!" I yelled, cradling the device. "Wait a second…. Do I still have them?" I muttered, looking through the boxes once more.

I finally found the games. Grinning, I inserted my favorite game, "Final Kingdom" and watched as the game opened up.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door, making me jump.

"Y-Yes!?" I yelped.

"I heard you yell something," Nanako called. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine!" I answered, looking at my gaming device with a huge smile. "Oh how I've missed you…" I murmured to it, rubbing it affectionately.

And so, I spent my morning playing it. _Ah… what a wonderful game…._

**(Daytime)**

My phone rang, and I jumped. I frantically picked it up.

"Oh, hello? It's me, Chie," said the person on the other side.

"Uh… what's up?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

"Would you mind hanging out with me for a while today? I need to get my mind off of studying for a bit…" she said._ Oh crap! Midterms! Totally forgot!_

"I-I have to pass, Chie… sorry," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Okay…" she said. "Sorry if I bothered you. See you at school." She hung up.

I felt bad for declining her offer, but I realized I needed to level up my Social Links.

So, I quickly slipped on some comfortable clothing and headed out, bringing my PMG with me.

I decided to hang out with Yosuke today.

_Where would he be…?_ I wondered. _Maybe Junes._

And sure enough, he was there.

"Yo, Misaki," he called. I gave him a small wave. "If you're free, wanna go somewhere?"

"Where?" I asked teasingly.

"You'll see," he said, leading me out the doors.

We walked down a familiar route and found ourselves in front my house.

"Uh… what?" I asked. I glanced at him, and saw that he was blushing.

"I… uh… wanna see your room," he muttered.

"Uh… haha… uh…. Is this some kind of sick joke…?" I asked, feeling faint.

"… Please?" he pleaded. "I made a bet with a friend!" I froze, then sighed.

"This is why I don't make bets, or be involved in them," I muttered.

"Please!?" he almost yelled. "I'm gonna lose a lot of money!" I sighed again.

"I'm gonna die if Dojima finds out, you know."

"Well… we'll make sure he doesn't find out!"

"Eh…. I don't know…."

"Please! I'm gonna go broke if I lose this bet!" He walked in front of me and bowed low. I felt weird, then kinda pissed.

"Dumbass!" I yelled. "How the hell did you get involved in this bet!?"

"W-Well…" he muttered.

"Fine," I snapped. "Make sure you keep your lips sealed about this." I glared at him and hissed, "Understand?"

"Y-Yes Ma'am!" he shouted, saluting me.

"You better…" I growled, opening the door.

_Man, Misaki can be pretty scary when she wants to… _Yosuke thought, and sweat-dropped. That glare she gave him made him feel like she was gonna kill him…. Okay maybe not that intense, but it's close... kinda.

He followed her in awkwardly, glad that Nanako wasn't home.

"I-It's pretty clean," he told her. She shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a lot messier later on, though," she said.

"S-So…. Do you keep the goods under your futon?" he asked. She looked at him.

"… Huh?" she muttered.

"C-C'mon…. No need to pay dumb," Yosuke tried to joke. "Don't worry. I'll still be your friend even if you're into the freaky stuff." At that her look turned dangerous.

"So _that's_ what you mean…?" Misaki said lowly.

"Part of the bet!" Yosuke squeaked, holding his hands up as if he was caught by the police._ That_ did not bring up pleasant memories at all….

"So… you ever invited a boy in here?" he asked, changing the subject.

"You," she deadpanned. "But it's not like I wanted to. I'm just trying to save your guts." He winced. _That's true… _"But maybe I will soon," she continued jokingly and mischievously at the same time.

"S-Seriously?" he exclaimed. "That mean you're working on someone!?" He was pretty surprised. He didn't know that! _Who's she working on…?_ he wondered._ Me!? No way!_

"Are you up there?" Nanako called. "Have you seen the public notice anywhere?"

"Nanako-chan's here? Let's let her in," Yosuke suggested. _Maybe having someone else here would make this a lot less awkward,_ he reasoned.

"Okay," Misaki said with a nod. "Come on in, Nanako-chan!" She opened the door, and Nanako stepped in.

"Nanako-chan, are you free today?" Yosuke asked.

"No, I'm going to Takeyoshi-kun's house with Miwa-chan and Yo-chan's house," Nanako answered.

"A-A guy's house!?" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Shut up, Yosuke," Misaki said. "Remember you're in a girl's_ room._" He winced again._ That's true, too…_

"Takeyoshi-kun sits next to me," Nanako explained. "I'm going to deliver the public notice to him. Miwa-chan said she's going with me because she likes Takeyoshi-kun."

"Because she likes him…?" Yosuke mused. "M-Man, kids sure are mature these days…. Well, my first love was in first grade, too! I've always been ahead of my time."

"Which is not exactly good," Misaki cut in. "Honestly, I've seen people dating in middle school…." She shook her head.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked, looking confused.

"Way too young if you ask me," she muttered._ "Too young?"_ Yosuke thought._ What is she, a grandma!?_

"But, well…. I don't really need that in my life right now," he continued, looking at the floor. "It's just not the time." He sneaked a glance at Misaki. She looked serious. "I have something I need to do before that can happen…."

"Homework?" Nanako asked. He glanced at Misaki and found her looking a bit nostalgic.

"Ah… the ol' innocent days…" he overheard her say to herself. _Yeah… she's definitely like a grandma,_ he confirmed. _But… it's kinda… different._

"No… well, maybe it is," Yosuke answered. "You're smart, Nanako-chan!" He gave her a thumbs-up.

"Well, I have to go now," Nanako said.

"All right. See ya, Nanako-chan!" Misaki said.

"See ya later." Yosuke called as Nanako left. "Nanako-chan called it 'homework"…. Catching the killer, ending the murders, bringing peace to the town…. Only we can do it, huh?"

"Yeah," Misaki agreed.

"Let's hang in there. I'm counting on you." She smiled.

"I'm counting on you, too."

"Oh, so did the notice reach you yet?" he asked. She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow, a sure sign that she's curious and wanted to know what's up. "The one about joining the youth's association. They were talking about having some kind of event to boost the economy. Junes is involved in it, so they're trying to rope me in."

"Oh." She looked like she knew why it bothered him… but he felt like he should tell her anyway.

"I don't have time for that…. I told 'em I was busy, but they keep dogging me. I don't care about the youth's association or about boosting the economy…." He sighed, and turned around. "All right, time to take a peek under the futon!" he said excitedly, and rubbed his hands together.

"Go ahead," Misaki said dismissively, and beckoned towards the futon. "You'll just find a whole bunch of dust under there." That was not the reaction Yosuke was expecting, but he went to check anyway.

He lifted the futon and did indeed find dust under it… too much dust, in fact.

Yosuke turned around and found Misaki had an amused look on her face. It made him feel silly.

"You can even take a picture and show it to that friend of yours," she joked, cracking into a huge smile before laughing.

"Shut up," Yosuke said. "Anyway, I have a question for you. Why do you laugh so much?"

"Because I like to laugh," she said. "It's not like I got to laugh that often back in the city."

"That's hard to imagine," Yosuke scoffed.

"It's fun in Inaba," she said with a smile. "It's a lot better than home…."_ Huh?_

Yosuke glanced at her. She was looking at the ceiling with a tiny smile on her face.

"Is your home… like…" Yosuke began.

"I don't wanna talk about it," she interrupted. "I accidentally let that slip…."

"O-Oh…"

Yosuke and I talked about various things before he went home. Of course, I made him swear not to tell anyone else about this. They might get the wrong idea. When he left, he looked pretty scared for some reason.

**(Evening)**

I went downstairs to get a snack and found Nanako at the table in the kitchen.

"Hmm…" she muttered.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"Um, well…" she said, fidgeting. "I made flowers at school yesterday. They said today is 'Mother's Day.'" I nodded. It is. I should give my mom a phone call now that I think about it. "My teacher told us that's a day when you give your mom flowers." I nodded again. "I don't have a mom… so I don't know what to do with these flowers." She looked upset._ So that's her problem…. It must suck not to have a mom…._

"You can give them to your dad," I suggested.

"Huh? But it's Mother's Day. Is it okay to give them to dad?" Nanako asked.

"Sure it is!" I replied. "Moms and dads are both parents. There's not too much of a difference."_ To me, that is. It's just the gender, really. Otherwise their roles are the same: take care of the kid._

"Okay! Then I'll give them to him!" she said, beaming at me. "Um, I did a really good job." I inspected the flowers she made. They really were well made. "My teacher said they were pretty!"_ Sorry, but I'm pretty sure that she says that to every student. You'll find out soon enough, Nanako._ She giggled. "I wonder if Dad will be happy to get them."

"I'm sure he will!" I said. _Either that or he'll break down…. Let's hope that doesn't happen._

She looked so happy…. I wish I were that happy and innocent. I guess that's why I laugh a lot… to ease the pains of life.

"You should make a flower too, big sis!" she said. "Then we can celebrate Mother's Day together!" I nodded and sat down in front of her.

She taught me how to make an origami flower. I messed up a few times, but finally got it down.

"We did it!" Nanako exclaimed happily.

"Yeah!" I said. I placed the finished flower on the table along with a letter to Dojima. I wrote:

_Nanako and I made these flowers for you. Hopefully you like them. ^_^ We took a lot of time making these to look as nice as possible. XP I kept messing up, but Nanako's a pro! Well… Happy Mother's Day. XD_

It's getting late, so I put Nanako to bed, grabbed a snack, then headed back to my room.

I picked up a book and read the cover. "Office Work Manual." Oh boy. This is gonna be a fun one to read (supposed to be sarcastic).

It contained useful tips on ways to be more efficient when doing office work. This should help when I work at my part-time job….

I finished a few chapters, then picked up my phone. It's time to call my mother.

It rang for a few seconds before she picked up.

"U-Uh... hi Mom," I greeted awkwardly.

"Hi, honey," she said. "Is something wrong?"

"... H-Happy Mother's Day, Mom," I muttered.

"Thank you, Misaki."

"... How are things going with Dad?"

"... It's fine."

"I-I see." I knew full well she was lying. Things aren't ever gonna be better between them.

"I have to go now, honey," she finally said.

"Oh... okay. Bye, Mom," I said.

"Bye, Misaki. I love you."

"... Love you too, Mom." She hung up, and I sighed.

I gave up trying to figure out what's going on there, and went to sleep, forgetting all about that midterms.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! An upload! Took long enough, right? To make up for it I made this longer. ^_^**

**I have a question for you guys. What should Misaki look like? Only one person told me what she'd look like. Just one! T_T Give me some suggestions, guys! Please!**

**Is Yosuke too OOC? I hope not. XP Anyway I hope you like the way I inserted that Social Link. XD Tell me what you think!**

**Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^_^**


	29. Another Update (2 ch in 1 day?)

**This update is OUTDATED.**

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><p>Two updates so close to one another!? Wow!<p>

Anyway, I've seen A LOT of great suggestions (thanks, guys!). How about this: since you guys helped me out so much, I'm going to give you guys my ideas for later on. Not exactly, of course. But since most of you guys know the full story already, I'm going to just spout out some stuff that's on my mind.

First: Rise's Social Link.

There's a few suggestions. Two of them seem really good to me.

1. Make Rise a guy and make him... her... act like Ryoji from Persona 3 (if you don't know who that is, look him up or watch an LP of Persona 3).

2. Make Rise like Yosuke instead, and makes Misaki jealous. Of course, I'm not gonna tell you guys how the Social Link will go (or how Rise's interactions with Yosuke and Misaki goes), but Rwanime442 told me how he/she imagined it. I think I'll go with what he/she suggested for the Social Link if I choose this one.

I'm going to let you guys choose. If too few people say anything about this, I will choose it myself.

Second: Naoto.

Ark2012 suggested Naoto can be an actual guy, which is quite interesting. He said Naoto (as a guy) can actually be gay or bi. Tell me what you think about this.

I also have an idea that I got from the fanfic "The Shortest Distance from A to B" by zero-damage. Some party members getting into trouble because they didn't trust someone. That's all I'm gonna say.

Third: Adachi.

A lot of people (okay, maybe not TOO many) have wondered about Adachi. I want to ask you guys a question before I answer how I'm gonna do his Social Link. Do you guys want me to switch perspectives and have him narrate (like I did with Yosuke in the last chapter).

Fourth: Pairings.

Some people don't have accounts here on fanfiction, so this is what I'm going to say: tell me in the reviews. I'll add them to the count. Oh, and don't vote and review. That's cheating. XP If you can't vote, say it. If you can, don't say it.

Now, I did NOT go through the other guys' interactions with Misaki yet, so keep that in mind. I'm thinking that maybe it's because of how I made Yosuke act around her during the early chapters. If this affected your vote, please say so. If it does, I'm going to change the interactions of the other guys, too. And please be honest. I want this to appeal to as many readers as possible.

Fifth: Misaki's looks

Only ONE person gave me an actual suggestion, and that's Rwanime442. Ark2012 said that she shouldn't be silver-haired, and that's what I thought too (glad we're on the same page!). Here are the suggestions:

Rwanime442's suggestion:

Height: 5'4

Weight: 119 lbs

Eyes: Emerald green

Hair: Long, golden, blonde hair that goes down to her back with bangs covering the left side of her face.

Ark2012's suggestion: Misaki could be a redhead with a braid.

Tell me what you guys think!

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><p>There's some more stuff, but it's all Persona 4: GOLDEN related. I don't know if you all of you guys finished that. I suggest you DON'T follow what the Persona 4: Golden The Animation shows you. They added Marie to EVERY SINGLE event, and that's not how it goes in the game. If you DIDN'T finish P4G, do NOT read what's coming up. And if you DO know the whole P4G storyline, if you're gonna review, please leave a warning so others who read it will know.<p>

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><p>This is about the Band Event. Remember how Misaki plays the violin? Do you guys want her to play the guitar like in the game, or play the violin? Let me know!<p>

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><p>And that's all for this update! Please remember to tell me what you think about Adachi. It's such a small section, it can easily be missed.<p>

And thank you SO much for all of your reviews! You make me feel so happy... *wipes a tear*

Please review on this one, too! The Social Links ride on you, reviewers! ^_^


	30. How did Misaki Get in Boy's B-Ball Team?

**5/9, Monday (Early Morning)**

I woke up this morning as my phone beeped. I glanced at the screen and panicked._ Midterms! I'm frikin' screwed!_

I quickly put on my uniform, grabbed my notebook, and did some last-minute studying as I walked to school… as slowly as possible without being late.

"Morning…" I heard Chie mutter as she jogged up to me.

"Uh… morning," I said absently.

"Exams are finally starting today…" Chie groaned. "Real life's harsh…."

"D'you study for 'em?" I asked her, scanning the page once more.

"Can't you tell?" she cried. "Do I look like I'm ready?"

"I'm not ready, either," I replied. "I'm studying right now."

"Hardworking…" she muttered.

"I forgot to study last night."

"You what!?"

"Yeah." She sighed.

"But, even once exams are over, we're not done with this case," Chie said. "All this depressing stuff's just gonna keep going on and on and on…."

"Yeah," I said, flipping the page over.

**(Morning)**

The midterms was easier than I expected. I sighed._ Did I do all that studying for nothing…?_

I read the next question. It asked, "What is it called when muscles grow after exercise?" I filled in the letter B: Overcompensation. Pretty sure that's the right answer.

Next question: "What is the year before 1 A.D. called?"_ Are you kidding me? That's easy!_

I filled in the letter C: 1 B.C.

* * *

><p><strong>510, Tuesday (Morning)**

I glanced at the others. Yukiko looked pretty calm, which wasn't surprising. Chie was tapping her pencil against the table, which was getting really annoying. Yosuke was staring twirling his pencil around, looking stumped.

Well, it's not gonna help me complete this test by looking at them, so I focused on the test.

I looked at the first question on the page: "Which of these types of numbers does not exist?"

_Crap! I forgot!_

I took an educated guess and chose the letter C: Marriage numbers. I hope this is the right answer….

Seventh question on the page: "Who translated 'I love you' as 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?'"_ Crap! I forgot this one, too!_

I looked at the answers. Only one of them I vaguely remember, and that's letter A: Soseki Natsume. I sighed and hoped I won't be screwed for the rest of the test.

* * *

><p><strong>511, Wednesday (Morning)**

Yukiko was still as calm as ever, although she seemed stuck on a question. Chie was biting her lip and tapping the floor with her foot. Yosuke was drawing something on a piece of paper. It looked like he'd given up. I sighed and looked at my test.

"Who said, 'As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom'?"_ Ugh! I can' think!_

I shot a glare at King Moron discreetly. He was mumbling something to himself this whole time, and it's getting more annoying than Chie's tapping.

After a few minutes, I chose letter D: Pythagoras.

"Which of the following is the highest mountain in the solar system?"

_That's easy. It's Olympus Mons, letter A._

* * *

><p><strong>512, Thursday (Morning)**

It was the last day of the exams._ Yes!_

The questions were pretty easy. I got stuck a few times, but I pulled through. Yosuke was sleeping on his desk. Chie had her head on the desk, looking exhausted. Yukiko got stuck on a few problems, too, but it seemed that she pulled through, too.

**(After School)**

"It's finally over," Yosuke said, stretching.

"Yeah…" I sighed, relieved.

"Wheewwww! What a load off! I bet every student feels like this after exams are over!" Yosuke said.

"Hey, quiet down!" Chie snapped. "So what did you write for number seven?" she asked Yukiko. "The one about what 'that' referred to in the sentence."

"Um… I put 'her sorrowful expression,'" Yukiko answered.

"Oh crap, then I got it wrong!" Chie cried. "I put 'the rice cakes on top of the table.'" I sighed.

"Chie, it's literature. It's supposed to be symbolic," I stated, "not… related to food."

"Rice cakes…?" Yukiko muttered. "Wait, was that what the story was about?" I wanted to face-palm.

"Alright, I'm giving up on composition. I'm gonna bet it all on geography!" Chie said. "What did you choose for the tallest mountain in the solar system?" she asked me.

"Olympus Mons, obviously," I answered.

"Oh, seriously!? I chose the wrong one…" Chie sobbed.

"Oh, I put that one, too," Yukiko said.

"Whoa, you too!? Then it's probably the right answer," Yosuke muttered, and then sighed. "Boy, I can't wait for our grades to be posted out in the hall where everyone can see 'em. Geez…" I froze.

"R-Really!?" I yelped.

"What, you didn't know?" he asked.

"I hope I get a good grade…" I muttered.

"Hey, did you hear? A T.V. station's filing here in town," a guy said.

"They're probably just doing more stuff about that hanging corpse case," his friend said.

"No, it's not that. You know the highway nearby? They're gonna cover those biker gangs that hang around there," the first guy said. "A friend of mine goes to the biker meetings sometimes. I heard it from him."

"Dude what're you doing hanging out with a guy in a biker gang?" the friend asked.

_Simple. It's for gossip and info,_ I thought.

"Well, anyways…. Whaddya think about tomorrow's group blind date?" the friend continued. "We were gonna meet outside, but…. It's gonna rain soon, right? Won't it be better to play it safe tomorrow, too?"

"Biker gang?" Yukiko asked.

"Oh yeah…. They raise a ruckus from time to time. I guess your place is too far away to hear 'em," Chie told her.

"We live right by the road. The noise can drive you insane," Yosuke added, shaking his head.

"I hear some guys at this school are part of it, too," Chie said.

"Huh," I said.

"Yeah, I know there are some rumors about a first-year student here who's a total hellraiser," Yosuke said. "One of the guys working at Junes said the dude's been a legend ever since middle school. Although…. Was he in a biker gang?"

"Wow," I said. "Is he that bad?"

"D-Did you say he was a legend?" Yukiko asked. I swore I could see some flowers popping out of her head. Everyone else sweat-dropped.

"Uhhhh, it's not what you think, Yukiko," Chie muttered.

Everyone went out of the classroom a few minutes later, calling out excuses as they went out. I sighed and went outside as well. I looked up and found the girl that put the love letter in my box.

"Oh! Hey you, listen!" she said. "The confession! It worked!" She was grinning from ear to ear. "I can't believe it! I'm so happy!"

"Good for you," I told her with a slight nod.

"I'm glad I got his shoe box confused with yours," the girl continued. "Oh, that's right! I need to give my thanks to the Tatsuhime Shrine! My wish came true! I'll make a big offering!" She ran off. I should report to the fox… later.

Hmm…. I still need to talk to the boy on the roof.

"Huh? What's the matter?" the boy meekly asked me.

"Uh… what are your hobbies?" I asked.

"Hobbies besides animals?" he mused. "Well, I also like reading. When you read a book, it's like a whole world opens up just for you. I get so excited the first time I open a book!"

"I totally agree with you, man!" I agreed, giving him a thumbs up. He didn't say anything else, though. He just resumed looking out over the city.

_… __This guy likes to give me the cold shoulder, huh…?_

I went into town to do some stuff before heading back to school.

"Hey, Misaki-chan. You're going to practice, right?" Kou asked me.

"Of course!" I replied.

"Sweet! Let's give it our best shot!" he said, grinning at me.

We practiced layups, something I was_ not_ good at. Kou helped me. He showed me the correct form and had me mimic it. To be honest, it felt awkward, but I felt like I did do a bit better.

"Okay! The balls've been polished, the floor's been mopped…. Let's grab some grub!" Kou yelled after practice.

"Sure!" I agreed.

"I'm down for some Aiya," Daisuke said, walking up to us.

"How do you always pop up when we start talking about food?" Kou sighed. I smirked._ Reminds me of someone…._

"Alright, let's get changed, then head over to Aiya," Kou said. "Oh damn! I forgot, I can't!"

"What are you arguing with yourself about?" Daisuke asked.

"Sorry, I just remembered some personal stuff I've gottta take care of," Kou replied. "Oh, and before I forget, I've been meaning to ask you something, Misaki-chan."

"Yes?" I said.

"How did you get into the boys' basketball club? I mean… I'm pretty sure we have a girls' team," he said.

"Oh, that?" I chuckled. "I went to see how the girls did… and they were all dicks. Told me I was too unathletic and fat or something." I shook my head. "So, I went to the office and asked King Moron to join the boys' team. Told him there was no rule against a girl playing on a boys' team. Soooo, he let me join this basketball team." I gave them a big smile. I remembered that well… too well, in fact.

_I nervously pushed open the door and found King Moron there. I swore to myself and muttered, "Um… excuse me…?"_

_ "__Whaddya want, kid!?" the "King" snapped._

_ "__I want to join the boys' basketball team," I answered, shrinking away._

_ "__What!?" he yelled. "You just want the guys, don't you!?" He started lecturing me. It was painful. "Besides, you can't join the boys' team," he finally finished._

_ "__I'm pretty sure I can…" I muttered. "I-I mean… there's no rule about it." He glared at me._

_ "__Fine! You win!" he finally shouted. "But you better not think of abusing the guys there, got it!?"_

Wh-Why would I do that!?_ I thought. He gave me a piece of paper and sent me off._

_As I walked down the hall, I tried to read what he wrote, but to no avail. It was all jagged and messy. He didn't even write in a straight line!_

I shuddered. "He was scary…" I muttered. The two of them looked at me with impressed looks.

"I'd never thought of that," Kou said. "Anyway, I gotta go. See ya!" He jogged towards the changing room. Daisuke looked at me.

"That's pretty impressive, Misaki-chan," he said. "I never woulda thought of that… and to face King Moron…." He shook his head then sighed. "Ah…. Today's the day he goes before the almighty 'House of Ichijo,'" he said after seeing my curious look.

"'House of Ichijo'?" I repeated.

"Hm, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt if I told you," he finally said. "In fact, I could use your help." He looked serious. I headed to Aiya to listen to what Daisuke had to say.

We sat down in the bustling restaurant.

"About Kou…" Daisuke muttered. "I don't like talking behind his back like this, but… I want you to help him out."

"Just tell me how," I said seriously.

"Yeah, thanks," he said with a nod. "It's about Kou's family. He lives by himself, but his parents's place is like, right next door. Once a week or so, he drops by there, like he did today. His family is—what's the word I'm looking for—distinguished? Very traditional, very strict. You'd never know just by looking at 'em though…. The head of the Ichijo family is Kou's grandma. They follow her orders like she's the law. Problem is, the old crone doesn't approve of him playing basketball. She calls it 'barbaric.'"

"…. 'Barbaric'?" I repeated. "But it's just a sport…."

"Well, according to her, there are sports that are 'proper,' and those that… aren't," he continued with a sigh. "He's been forced to quit a lot of things since he was a kid. But not basketball. He can't give this up. So… I want you to help him out." I gave him a smile.

"Leave it to me," I said, pointed to my chest with my thumb.

"Okay… I'm glad I came to you." He looked relieved. "I'm glad I can rely on you."_ He… really trusts me…._ "This one's on me, so eat up, man," he said.

"N-No, I can pay for it," I protested.

"Huh? What're you talking about?" he asked. "It's my duty as a gentleman to pay for a girl's meal."

"I-It's fine, really!" I tried to protest. He took out his wallet and looked defeated.

"I-I used up my allowance…" he muttered. "H-Hey, how 'bout some zha cai? Those are good."

I smirked and said, "So I'm paying for myself, right?" He sighed.

"Y-Yeah…"

"Ha! I win!"

"You don't have to rub it in, Misaki-chan!"

We chatted for a while before heading home.

**(Evening)**

"I went shopping today. The fridge is full of food," Nanako said.

"Oh! Great!" I said. "Thanks, Nanako-chan!"

I immediately went into the kitchen.

"Hey, can I have a word with you?" Dojima asked. I tensed and turned around.

"Y-Yes?" I said.

"You go to Junes a lot?" he inquired.

"Yeah…" I answered nervously.

"That ass Adachi keeps vanishing every now and again. I figured he's probably slacking off around Junes whenever he does…. If you see him hanging around when you're at Junes, he's probably goofing around. So if you see Adachi at Junes, tell him off for me, okay?"

_Hmm… I did see him a few times over there…._

"Sure, no problem," I replied.

I opened the refrigerator. There's a variety of food inside. I could make lunch for tomorrow, so I decided to do just that.

Hmm… I have enough to make meat stew. I laid out the ingredients and started to make it.

Almost done… now I just have to simmer it. _How should I do that…?_ I decided to do it with a drop lid.

There! Done! It came out perfectly! _Hell yeah!_ _I didn't screw it up!_

I packed it up and put it on the table behind me so that I could bring it to school tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>513, Friday (Lunchtime)**

I brought out my lunch._ Who should I eat with…? I know! I'll eat with Yosuke!_

Yosuke and I sat on the rooftop. I shared my lunch with him.

"Wow, this is sooo good!" Yosuke exclaimed. "Is this your recipe, Misaki? I only know how to boil eggs, myself…."

"Well, that's better than nothing," I replied.

We continued to eat lunch together

**(After School)**

I went to the roof to talk to the boy again. I asked him about his hobbies.

"What kind of books do I read?" he mused. "I read a lot of different genres, but I admit I have a lot of animal-related books. Stories and novels are good, but what I really like are picture books and books with animal facts."_ This guy's like a girl! Well… I guess it matches his looks._ "It's fun to look at them, isn't it?" he continued. He then began to talk about her goals for the future. I listened intently and heard something useful. I should report to his admirer.

I did some stuff in the shopping district before deciding to go find Adachi.

Just as I suspected, he was in Junes.

"Huh? Oh, it's you," Adachi said. "What's the matter? Can I help you?"

"Uh… what are you doing?" I asked.

"What's it look like? I'm working," he replied unconvincingly. "It's easy to investigate here with all the people around. It's cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. It's a pretty good place, to…. Yeah, I think I've said enough!"

"I'll hang out with you too," I said.

"Oh? That's a little strange," he said. "What are you doing here? Killing time? Tough to do out here in the sticks, isn't it? There's nothing here. It's not like the city at all."

"It's not that bad," I replied.

"Oh? But you're from the city too, right? You'll find out soon enough…. This town really is dead. Get this—my first assignment here was tracking down a cat."

"Pff, a cat!?" I laughed.

"My suit got so dirty… and they wouldn't let me expense the dry cleaning bill! Next, I played peacemaker in a spat some married couple was having. I can't believe they've got the police doing that stuff," he continued. It's pretty obvious he doesn't like country life. "But it's been more dangerous lately, so I can't kick back. There's that one case, you know? It's still not solved yet."_ The T.V. murder thing…._ "The higher-ups don't know what to do. They keep changing procedure on the fly…. Oops! I hope I'm not making you nervous." I was about to say, "No, not at all!" but that would've sounded suspicious, so I kept my mouth shut. "You guys have nothing to worry about, you know. Us policed are on the job!" I guess it seemed like he kinda cares for me….

Everything froze, and a card appeared.

There was a jester dancing in the middle of a circle. Inside the circle was a tannish background with four animals on the… corners. It had the number 0 on it._ Wait…. Z-Zero!? B-But the card looks different! Don't tell me he's a Fool…. No. It's different. Suddenly I realized something. It's the card of the Jester! I've seen that online somewhere_

Everything came back to life, and I tried to keep a straight face.

"Well, time for me to get back to work," he said just as an old woman walked past us. He quickly hid behind me. "Phew, that was close…" he sighed in relief. I glanced at him. Why didn't he want to see that nice old woman? "I'd better go. You hurry on home, too," he told me. "Don't tell Dojima-san I was in Junes, okay?" he pleaded. I hesitated. Dojima just told me to tell Adachi off, not report to him….

"Okay," I said. He briskly walked out of Junes, and I went home.

**(Evening)**

"Young men recklessly riding their motorcycles, disturbing the peace of a quiet, rural town…" the narrator on T.V. said. I was sitting at the coffee table in front of Nanako. Dojima was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper. "Our special report took a turn for the violent when one of the apparent leaders attacked the camera crew!"

"The hell are you punks doing here!?" a guy yelled. His face was blurred.

"That voice…" Dojima muttered.

"This ain't a show! Get bent!" the guy continued to shout.

"Still up to the same old tricks…?" Dojima muttered.

"Do you know him, Dad?" Nanako asked.

"Mmm, well, I know him through work," he answered. "His name's Kanji Tatsumi…. He's quite a handful. He's been crushing biker gangs in the area since middle school."

"Man, what a guy!" I commented._ Crushing biker gangs!?_

"But I thought he got into a high school and started attending class," he continued.

"Huh," Nanako said. We looked at the T.V.

"Man, that blur sure is pointless. It's completely obvious who it is," Dojima muttered. "The guy's family runs a historic textile shop. I think what happened was, he crushed the local bikers all by himself because the noise kept his mother up."

"At least the motive's kinda… nice," I said. "But… but… he crushed the gang ALL BY HIMSELF!?" My uncle nodded.

"It's a nice gesture, but he's way too violent…. At this rate, his mother'll have to apologize again," Dojima said.

"Oh, the weather report's showing on the bottom. It's going to rain tomorrow," Nanako said.

_I'm pretty sure who's gonna show up on the Midnight Channel… and that's this Kanji Tatsumi guy._

I'll make sure to hang the laundry inside the house," Nanako said.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I've seen some nice suggestions regarding the stuff I put in my last update! ^_^**

**Anyway, regarding Adachi, I probably won't have him narrate like Yosuke did.**

**I still haven't decided what to do with Rise yet. If I'm going to make her like Yosuke I'm thinking of making her look up to Misaki more in the beginning, then slowly starts to like Yosuke... maybe. As for Ryoji-Rise... well... I dunno yet. I'm going to have to do some research because I forgot what he's like. XP**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please tell me what you think! ^_^**


	31. Talking to a Scary Brute (Plus Update)

**5/14, Saturday (After School)**

"Whoa, it started raining…. I guess the weather report was right," Chie said, watching as the rain splattered against the windows.

"That means that show's probably gonna be on tonight," Yosuke said.

"I hope we don't see anyone," Yukiko muttered.

"Yeah, that'd be best," Yosuke said.

"Well, don't get your hopes up too high," I said. "I'm pretty sure that someone's gonna appear on that show."

"But if we do, maybe we'll see some kinda clue that can point us toward the killer," Yosuke muttered.

"Well everyone, don't forget to check your T.V. tonight!" Chie reminded us. "Got it?" We nodded.

**(Evening)**

I sat on the sofa in my room and kept my eyes on the T.V. screen, feeling anxious for some reason.

A few minutes later, the screen lit up, and a figure appeared. The figure's stance… looked familiar…. Who was it…? I smacked myself in the forehead. _Who is it!? This is killing me!_

The screen darkened, and I immediately picked up the phone and dialed Yosuke.

"Oh, it's you! I was just about to call your cell!" he said. "So, what do you think? That was a guy, wasn't it? I wish I could tell what he looked like…. Let's get together and talk more about it tomorrow!"

"Yeah," I said. We hung up.

…. I should get to bed.

**5/15, Sunday (Daytime)**

Yosuke cleared his throat then stated in the most sophisticated way, "We will now hold a meeting on our investigation of the serial kidnapping-slash-murder case here in Inaba."

"Dude, take a breath," Chie deadpanned.

"Pff..." I began to laugh. "Y-Yosuke… th-that…!" I began to laugh even harder. Everyone else sweat-dropped. We were sitting at our usual table at the Junes food court. We were about to discuss the case, but… well…. Yeah…. Let's say we're not off to a very good start.

"Oh, then does that make this place our special headquarters?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes! Exactly! Nicely put, Yukiko," Yosuke praised.

"Hell yeah!" I laughed joyfully. Everyone sweat-dropped again.

"Special headquarters…" Chie mused. "Hmm, that does have a nice ring to it…."

"Anyways, as for what was on last night…" Yosuke said seriously. I forced myself to stop laughing. It was pretty hard.

"D'you guys know who it is?" I asked.

"I saw it too!" Chie replied. "I couldn't get a good view of the person's face, but it was a guy, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. He looked like a high schooler… a very familiar one," I told everyone.

"So that's how I looked on T.V…" Yukiko muttered. "Hm…. Wait a moment. Didn't all the victims have one thing in common? That they were females with ties to the first incident?"

"That's what we thought," Yosuke replied. "But we still don't know who exactly we saw."

"In my case, the image on the Midnight Channel changed after I was kidnapped, right?" Yukiko said.

"Yeah, the screen got clear all of a sudden and the program looked like some low-budget T.V. show," Yosuke agreed. "Come to think of it, maybe Teddie was right…. Maybe we were seeing the other Yukiko from that world."

"But last night, we couldn't clearly see whoever it was," Yukiko said. "Could that mean… he isn't inside the T.V. yet? If so, then…."

While everyone was deducting stuff, I just sat there and tried think of a person who appeared on the Channel. The stance… was so… familiar!_ Ugh!_

I glanced up and saw everyone was staring at me.

"H-Huh?" I asked. "O-Oh… I'm guessing he's safe… for now."

"Uh-huh," Yukiko agreed with a nod, "I think that's safe to assume. If we can figure out who he is, can we prevent him from being taken?"

"Yeah…. And if all goes well, we might catch the killer in the bargain," Yosuke said, then sighed. "But to do that, we need to know who the latest Midnight Channel star is…. I hate to say it, but I guess we'll have to wait another night and see what happens."

Chie cleared her throat.

"Well, that means if my deductions are correct…" she began. "Though the image was hard to make out, and we can't say for sure who it was, it was definitely a young male. But if that's the case, it goes entirely against our prior assumptions…. Since we cannot identify the person at this time, we have no choice but to wait and see what happens!"

"That's exactly what we just said," Yosuke snapped.

"Shut up!" she snapped back.

"But it was a very well done summary," I added with an approving nod.

"Huh? U-Uh… thanks," she said. Suddenly Yukiko chuckled, then burst out laughing.

"You're so funny, Chie!" she laughed. "Oh, no! M-My funny bone…!"

"Not again…" Chie muttered.

"S-Sorry!" Yukiko apologized. She was still laughing though. I smiled.

"This is how Yukiko really is, huh…" Yosuke muttered. "Who'd have thought?"

"Laughing's good for you!" I said. "It helps your immune system grow stronger. At least, that's what I've heard."

"By the way, about that guy we saw? I get the feeling I've seen him before…" Chie muttered. "Pretty recently, too."

"Me too!" I agreed eagerly.

"Oh, you too? Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing since last night…" Yosuke agreed. "Well, let's check the T.V. again tonight and think about it more tomorrow." We all nodded, and Yukiko chuckled. Chie growled and shouted, "When are you gonna stop that, you crazy hyena!?"

"Pff," I muttered before laughing once more. Chie and Yosuke looked at me and sweat-dropped again. Yukiko started laughing again.

"That's a good one, Chie!" she praised.

"I know, right!?" I laughed. Chie and Yosuke just looked at us as if we were crazy.

**(Evening)**

It was raining. I quickly went upstairs to my room and sat on the sofa, staring intently at the T.V.

It lit up.

This time the figure was punching the air._ Urgh! He's so familiar!_

My phone rang, and I picked it up quickly.

"Did you see that?" Yosuke asked. Suddenly the name of the person hit me.

"It's gotta be Kanji Tatsumi!" I yelled.

"Yeah, I think so too," he agreed. "I knew I saw him somewhere! It was on T.V.! He was on that special news report! He's one scary dude. He was even yelling at the camera to 'Get bent!'"

"Yeah," I said. "I saw the news report."

"All right, so we finally have a lead. Let's all get together tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, I almost forgot…. It's kinda off-subject, but as long as you're on the line, mind if I ask you something?" He paused for a long moment before continuing, "It's something I've been meaning to ask for a while."

"… What?" I heard him take a few deep breaths.

"So…." He paused for a long moment. "If you're a guy… what do you think about Yukiko and Chie? I mean, let's not mince words…." Another long pause. "Wh-Which one's your type?"

"… Are you calling me a lesbian?"

"Huh!? N-no! If you were a GUY who's your type?" I swore he's blushing on the other side.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"I… was just curious."

"Hmm…. If I were a guy... then maybe both. I mean, they both have their pros and cons."

"Oh, I see. Hey, but don't worry. This is just between you and me."

"It'd better be," I said. That might've gone off a little bit more threatening than I'd intended. He paused for a second, and I heard a bang.

"Um... are you okay?" I asked him worriedly.

"Ow... I'm fine..." He sounded a bit scared. "O-Okay, see you tomorrow."

We hung up.

**5/16, Monday (After School)**

"The one who was on last night…. It's THAT guy, right…?" Chie asked.

"Kanji Tatsumi, huh?" Yosuke said. "He definitely didn't look like the social type."

"Now there's an understatement," Chie scoffed. "Isn't he really scary? Did you see the news special the other day?"

"Yeah, I saw it," he answered.

"You mean the special on biker gangs? I watched it too," Yukiko said. "He wasn't like that when he was younger, though…."_ Wh-What!?_

"You _know_ him, Yukiko!?" Chie cried.

"Uh-huh," Yukiko answered. "But we haven't talked to each other in a long time. His family runs a textile shop, and we've been a customer of theirs for many years. So I speak with Kanji-kun's mother from time to time. Oh, why don't we go there now? We might be able to talk to him in person."

"Sounds good," Chie agreed. "At the very least, we can ask if anything strange has come up lately. I wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley, but I'm pretty sure he won't fly off the handle at his family's store."

"All right, then let's get going," Yosuke said.

"If things get rough, we're counting on you," Chie told Yosuke.

"H-Hey!" he stammered.

"Don't worry, Yosuke! I'll help," I said, giving him a thumbs up. He gave me a grateful look.

We went into the textile shop. I studied the boy that stood in front of who I assumed was the shop owner.

He wore all blue, from his hat to his shoes. His blue jacket was quite nice. It looked expensive and prim. His plaid blue pants had a nice color sequence. The boy had one hand on his hip and looked like he was authority or something.

"Hello," Yukiko greeted.

"Ah, Yuki-chan. It's so nice to see you," the shop owner said.

"Well then, if you'll excuse me, Ma'am," the short boy said.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't help more," the shop owner apologized.

"It's all right; you've given me plenty to think about. Thank you," the boy said, tipping his hat. He turned around, nodded towards us, and then left.

The boy and I traded glances as he walked out.

"What's up with him…? Weirdo," Yosuke muttered.

"I 'unno. Never seen him before," Chie replied.

"It's not nice to call someone a weirdo," I scolded Yosuke.

"What are you, my mom?" he snapped.

"Yuki-chan, you're as lovely as always," the owner praised. "Your features are starting to remind me of your mother when she was young. How can I help you today? Are you out shopping with your friends?"

"Oh, um, well… actually," Yukiko began. She asked the shop owner a few questions. Chie glanced around until her eyes fixed on a scarf.

"Hey, this scarf…. I've seen this somewhere before…" Chie muttered. I walked over to where she was standing and gasped.

"You're right," I whispered. Yosuke came up behind me.

"Hm? Oh, you're right. Where was that?" he murmured.

"Oh! It was that place! Inside the T.V.!" Chie yelled.

"Shut up, Chie!" I hissed. "You want everyone here to hear you yell that?"

"That's right! That room with those faceless posters…" Yosuke agreed. "Then… it's that announcer's…."

"Are you acquaintances of Ms. Yamano?" the shop owner asked.

"Uh, well, kinda…" Yosuke answered uncertainly. "Um…. Did Ms. Yamano happen to have a scarf like this?"

"Yes, it was a special order she placed," was the answer. We glanced at each other. "She actually ordered a pair, but in the end, she said she only wanted the women's scarf. It left us with no choice but to sell this one separately."

"Oh man…. There IS a connection to the first case…! What are we gonna do…?" Chie groaned.

"H-How should I know?" Yosuke replied.

"Hello! Delivery here for the Tatsumis," someone called from outside.

"Oh, I'll be right there," the shop owner called back. She turned to us. "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me."

"Oh, it's okay. We should get going," Chie said.

"I'll come again, Ma'am," Yukiko said.

"Is that so? Well, then please say hello to your mother for me," the shop owner told her. She stood up and went outside.

"It really is connected to the first case after all," Yosuke muttered. "But it's just a scarf. Would the killer target someone just because of that…?"

"If they're crazy enough," I said.

"Dammit, what's going on…?" he muttered. "C'mon let's talk outside."

"Huh…?" Yukiko muttered. "It's Kanji-kun." In front of us was a tall guy with white hair. He had a skull t-shirt on, and his school jacket was hanging on his shoulders. He was talking to a much shorter boy.

"Wha—Quick, hide!" Yosuke said, sounding panicked. Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko ran behind a mailbox while I simply stood where I was.

"You're not fooling anyone, you know…" Chie whispered to the other two. I quickly decided to pretend I was doing something, so I whipped out my phone and pretended to text someone.

"Shh! I can't hear what they're saying!" Yosuke hissed.

"T-Tomorrow's fine with me," Kanji Tatsumi was saying. He listened to what the short boy in blue said before replying, "Huh? S-School? 'Course I'm going to school…."

"Then I'll meet you at the gates after school tomorrow," the short boy said. I stole a glance at them and realized that Kanji looked like a giant next to the blue boy… or the blue boy looked like a midget next to Kanji…. I couldn't decide.

The short boy turned on his heels and quickly walked away.

"D-Did he say he was interested…?" Kanji murmured. "He's a guy… and I'm a guy…. But… he's interested in me…?"

_Kanji-kun, you're taking it the wrong way,_ I thought, and leaned against the wall, still staring at my phone.

He glanced back and saw us… or maybe just the rest of the group.

"Huh? What the hell are you pricks looking at!?" Kanji yelled. He ran towards them and they ran away. I stayed where I was, trying not to laugh too loudly. Then I quickly sneaked away before he thought I was looking suspicious.

"That scared the hell out of me. He's even worse in person than on T.V.," Chie was saying as I walked up to the rest of the group.

"That was great!" I laughed as I joined them.

"Shut up!" Yosuke told me. "I can't believe he didn't notice you! Well… I guess you did blend in kinda well." I smirked.

"'Course! No one would think twice about a person texting on their phone!" I said.

"The one on T.V. last night was definitely Kanji-kun," Yukiko said.

"Yeah…. And I just realized something," Yosuke muttered. "Remember the common points we were talking about? His mom fits the pattern. She's a woman, and she knew Ms. Yamano. But it was her son who appeared on T.V…. so what does that mean?"

"If Kanji Tatsumi appeared on T.V., then he's the target, simple as that," I replied.

"Yeah, that's what it seemed like based on the T.V. image…. But his mother fits the pattern more than he does."

"Oh…. Maybe it's similar to my case," Yukiko said. "If you think about it, my mother fit the victim profile more than I did. She was the one who dealt directly with Ms. Yamano… but I was the one who was targeted."

"Does that mean it'll be the kid again, instead of the mother?" Chie asked. "But if that's true, then the killer's motive makes no sense at all. It'd have nothing to do with silencing witnesses or revenge or anything."

"Y'think we're on the wrong track…?" Yosuke sighed. "Maybe even the first case had nothing to do with grudges or revenge…. Or is there some kinda secret in the textile shop itself…? Argh! I'm totally lost!"

"Maybe we're thinking about this too hard," I muttered.

"But we can't ignore this," Yukiko said.

"Hmm…. Why don't we just go ahead and ask Kanji himself?" Chie suggested. "We could at least see if anything odd's happened lately. He scares the wits out of me, but…."

"Hey, wasn't Kanji making plans with that weird kid a moment ago?" Yosuke said. "Something about meeting up at school. I heard he's been skipping school ever since the new year started…. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious?"

"Yeah, something did seem weird," Chie agreed. "It's suspicious, all right. There's something funny going on here…. I can sense it."

"'Sense'? You sound like Teddie…. Still, we might find some clues," Yosuke said. "All right…. Let's try staking out both Kanji and his family's store. We definitely don't want the killer getting ahead of us. That being said…. Yukiko, can I have your cell number?"

"Hey…. Was this your plan all along?" Chie asked, looking suspiciously at him.

"Uh, no?" he replied. "I got everybody's phone number except for hers."

_Yeah…. It sounds planned to me,_ I thought.

"And the Y section of my address book needs some filling out," he continued. Chie sighed.

"While we're on the subject, could you stop calling me at night just to tell dirty jokes?" Chie said. "You really sound like a pervert."

"H-Hey! I'm trying to have a conversation with Yukiko here!" Yosuke protested. She hesitated for a moment.

"Oh, that reminds me…. I need to by tofu on my way home," she said.

"Whoa…. She didn't hear a word I said…" Yosuke said, sounding defeated.

"Okay then, the stakeout is set for tomorrow," Chie confirmed. "Hmm…. Stakeouts…. Tailing people…. Whoo, I'm getting goosebumps!"

"W-Wait… we're actually doing this thing!?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah," Yosuke answered. I sweat-dropped. I don't like this….

**(Evening)**

I decided to sleep early so that I could be in tip-top condition for our stakeout tomorrow… I still couldn't believe we're actually doing this.

**5/17, Tuesday (After School)**

We were waiting in front of the school, all tucked into a corner in front of the gate._ Why the hell am I doing this?_ I felt really stupid.

"Has the target arrived at school!?" Chie whispered.

"Yes, Ma'am! Visual ID confirmed!" Yosuke answered. "Target arrived in-zone near the end of is mess break, with mother-issued rations in hand. Current status: In the bathroom, fixing his hair. The target was acting nervous. I left my position before he had a chance to pick on me. _Why are they being so serious about this…?_

"I wonder what kind of plans they made…" Yukiko wondered. "It didn't seem like he knew that boy very well."

"Well, I think there's something more subtle—" Chie began as the "target" walked right in front of us. "Oh, he's here!"

The blue boy walked up to him.

"I didn't keep you waiting, I hope," the boy said.

"No, I-I just got here too," Kanji stammered. The left the school grounds together.

"Wh-What in the world was that…?" Yosuke muttered.

"Anyways! We gotta hurry after them, or we'll lose them!" Chie said.

"Okay…. Then let's split up into two groups. One team will follow Kanji, and the other will stake out the shop," Yosuke suggested.

"R-Roger that! How should we split the teams?" Chie asked.

"Doesn't matter," I replied.

"Okay, then you go with me," Yukiko said.

"Sure… that's fine with me," Chie said. "Oh man, they're almost out of sight! C'mon, Yosuke!"

"So, I'm pairing up with Chie…?" Yosuke muttered. "Eh, okay. All right! We'll need to pretend we're on a date to make it look natural!"

"Not in a million years!" Chie disagreed. "There'll be no need for that if we stay out of sight. Sheesh…. Let's hurry up and go!" The two of them ran after the "targets."

"I wonder if those two will be all right," Yukiko murmured.

"They'll be fine!" I told her. "…. I hope. Anyway, let's go to the textile shop."

Yukiko came back to our stakeout place with two drinks.

"Sorry about the wait…. This one's for you," she said, handing me a drink. "Everything seems fine at the shop. I hope it stays that way…."

"I'm pretty sure it will," I replied, opening up the bottle.

"Do you think the culprit will come…?" she asked.

"I highly doubt it," I answered before I sipped my drink.

"Our efforts might be fruitless…. But maybe that's for the best. It would be scary if the culprit did show up…. But if they do, I'll do what I can to help you catch them. You all saved my life… I don't want to be the only one doing nothing. I mean… I'm sure there's something I can do….

"Oh, sorry. I went on and on without realizing…. I-I guess I'm a little nervous," she said. "You know, I've never chatted with a boy my age before. Chie, of course, has no problem getting along with guys because of her personality…. But I think she's had more fun hanging out with Yosuke lately…. The same is true for me."

"I'm glad you're opening up," I told her, giving her a thumbs up.

Everything froze.

There was a silhouette of a woman… maybe a priestess looking to the left. There was a white B on the side of her hat, and a J around her eye. On the bottom was the Roman numeral II.

The Priestess Arcana.

Everything came back to life.

"Oh, Yukiko. Can I get your phone number?" I asked. "I might need it for the investigation."

"Oh, you're right. We'll need to contact each other if anything happens," she said. We exchanged phone numbers.

We kept a lookout on the shop, but everything seemed normal. Yukiko and I chatted while we waited for Yosuke and Chie.

"Man this is weird…" Chie muttered. The pair were hiding behind a tree, looking very suspicious.

"Yeah…. We definitely stand out," Yosuke said.

"No, I mean THEM!" she said. "I get this weird feeling about them…."

"Weird? What about them's weird?"

"Umm… I don't know how to put it…. Maybe it's just my imaginiation…. Hey, how do you think the others are doing?"

"Beats me."

They started arguing and stepped out into the open.

"…. The hell are you two doing?" a familiar voice inquired. They whipped around and found themselves face-to-face with Kanji Tatsumi.

"Oh, well, you see…. We're… we're just two crazy lovebirds!" Yosuke cried.

"Whaddya mean bird!?" Chie said.

"Play along, birdbrain!" Yosuke whispered frantically.

"Didn't I see you guys yesterday…?" Kanji asked. Yosuke chuckled nervously.

"C-C'mon, it just so happened that we were walking behind you guys. Pure coincidence! Hey! Our houses are just over that way, so we'll be going now," Yosuke said quickly.

"Um, look, we weren't planning on getting in you guys' way, and there's nothing strange about it, either…" Chie piped in.

"S-Strange…!?" Kanji repeated.

"Why can't you keep your big mouth shut!?" Yosuke hissed as he high-tailed it out of there with Chie on his heels.

"W-Wait, dammit!" Kanji called.

He chased them around town, yelling, "This ain't what you think! Y-You got it all wrong! Hey are you listening, dammit!? It seriously ain't like that!"

I saw Chie and Yosuke running towards us.

"What's up?" I asked. "You guys look exhausted." Suddenly, they bowed.

"We regret to inform… that our mission failed," Chie reported.

"There was nowhere to hide," Yosuke explained quickly.

"Seriously…?" I muttered. "You could've just blended in! Like talk to each other, or play on your phones!" They grimaced.

"Well… let's wait here a little longer. Maybe Kanji-kun will come home," Yukiko suggested.

"Yeah…" Yosuke said, straightening up.

"Huh…? What're you guys doing here?" Kanji demanded. "You're those stupid lovebirds I just saw!"_ "Lovebirds"?_ I glanced at them.

"We're not a couple!" Chie protested, stomping her foot.

"Why are you a**holes followin' me around!?" Kanji demaned. "Dammit, what the hell's going on!?" He sighed. "I ain't sayin' this is you guys' fault…. But… dammit!" He sighed again.

"Hey, uh… mind if we ask something? Has anything strange happened to you lately?" Yosuke asked.

"Huh? Strange…?" Kanji muttered, glaring at him. "What's this 'strange' stuff, huh!? Are you saying that I'm strange!?"

"Huh? N-No, I didn't mean—!" Yosuke began.

"You sh*theads better get the hell out of my face, or I'm taking you down!" Kanji shouted.

"Wha—!? Wait, why!?" Yosuke asked.

"I look like I'm joking!?" Kanij yelled. He ran towards us, and everyone else scattered.

"Kanji-kun," I said.

"What the hell do you want!?" he shouted.

"Please calm down for a second," I told him.

"You better—" He raised a fist, and I felt my legs shaking.

"Kanji-kun. Calm. Down. Please. I just want to ask you a question," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

"What is it!? Hurry up an' ask it already!"

"Did anything unusual happen to you lately?" I inquired.

"You sayin—" he began.

"Kanji-kun. I'm not saying you're strange, or unusual, or weird. I'm just asking if any unusual events took place around here."

"Are you talkin' about… the boy…?" He gave me a dangerous look, and I felt like I was about to die.

"No. Just answer the question. Don't think too hard about this. I'm just asking a simple, straightforward question. I'll say it again: Did anything unusual happen around here?"_ Man, I hope I sounded calm there..._

"N-No, I don't think so," he finally answered, looking sheepish.

"Okay, that's all I'm asking. Thank you for your help, Kanji-kun… even if you did scare away my friends," I said with a bow. "Well… see ya around." I quickly turned around and walked away._ Holy crap I swear I almost died there._

"Hey guys," I called when I found the rest of the group.

"I can't believe you actually got an answer out of him!" Yosuke said.

"And he didn't kill you!" Chie piped in.

"That was impressive, Misaki-chan," Yukiko said.

"How did you do that!? I couldn't hear the conversation, but it looked like you got him under control!" Yosuke almost yelled.

"I just told him to calm down, and explained what I meant when I asked the question," I replied.

"How'd you stay so calm?" Yukiko asked, looking a bit shaken.

"Calm? I was scared out of my wits!" I admitted. "He almost punched me!" I shuddered. They gave me awed looks.

"I still can't believe you got an answer out of him without dying," Yosuke muttered, shaking his head.

"So what did he say?" Chie asked.

"He said nothing's happening," I answered.

"Well, nothing happened today, so I guess everything's okay…" Yosuke summarized. "But it's already been a few days since he appeared on the Midnight Channel. If this is anything like Yukiko's case it'll happen soon."

"Then we can't let our guard down…. I think we should come back tomorrow to check up on him," Yukiko said.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Looks like we got no choice…" Chie muttered. "Let's go home. I'm wiped."

"Well, if you guys had stayed calm, then nothing would've happened," I said with a smirk. "Just explain the question, that's all!"

"Shut up!" Yosuke snapped. "It's not like we're perfect like you!"

"Whaddya mean, 'Perfect'? I'm far from perfect!" I replied as we walked back.

**(Evening)**

I've had enough fright for today, and I don't need any more. It was a good thing I calmed him down… otherwise I think I would've come home with a huge ugly bruise on my face… or be knocked out in front of his house. I shuddered.

_That was too close._

I was about to close the door to my room when my phone rang. I picked it up and glanced outside. The rain was hitting everything.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Oh, hello? It's Yukiko. I-I'm sorry to call so late," she said. "Um, Kanji-kun seems to be missing!"

"What!?" I almost screamed.

"I had some calls to make for the inn, so I called the textile shop as well," she continued. "When I spoke to Kanji-kun's mother... she told me that he left the house and hasn't returned since. She did say this happens all the time, but... what do you think?"

"This is not good," I replied.

"I think so, too. He could be..." She paused for a moment. "It's going to rain again tonight. Maybe the Midnight Channel will come on. Then we'll know for sure if something happened to Kanji-kun or not. I'll make sure to check out the T.V. at midnight... Talk to you later."

"Okay, see ya." We hung up.

It was close to Midnight. The rain was still falling, pounding everything in its way.

I stared at the T.V., and it lit up.

It was clear. Very clear. I had a very bad feeling.

It looked like an entrance to a bath house or something. Everything was foggy.

Suddenly a guy appeared... Kanji Tatsumi. He was half-naked and looked drunk.

"Hel-LO, dear viewers..." he said. "It's time for 'Bad, Bad Bathhouse'! Tonight, I'll introduce a superb site for those searching for sublime love that surpasses the separation of the sexes." He purred. "I'm your host, Kanji Tatsumi, serving you this scandalously special sneak-in report! Goodness gracious, just imagine the things that might happen to me there! Oooooh!" he sang. "Well then, let's get this show on the road! Tootaloo!" He turned around and run into the bathhouse.

_What the hell was that?_

My phone rang.

"H-H-Hey!" Yosuke stammered. "What the_—_I mean_—_!?"

"Calm down," I told him.

"But that was completely over the top!" he yelled. "Though... It really was Kanji. Dammit... We guess right, but he still slipped through our fingers. If only we'd held our ground and stayed there a little longer..." He let out a long sigh. "In any case, that place that was behind him... What do you think it is? A 'superb site for those searching for sublime love'? I just don't get it!"

"A bathhouse?" I suggested. "I mean... he did say 'Bad, Bad Bathhouse' or something."

"Maybe. Anyways... We'd better hurry and come up with a plan tomorrow!" We hung up, and I decided to go to bed.

_This is not good... not good at all._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So many chapters coming out! :D**

**As you can see, I changed the title of the story. I felt the other one was a bit too long. XP**

**THIS IS OUTDATED.**

**Anyway, I've decided what Misaki's going to look like. I'm taking the only suggestion that has gone into great detail, including eye color, height, and weight (you know who you are XD). I will make her about 1-2 inches taller than the suggestion, then convert everything into the Metric System (this is Japan, after all). I don't know if I should put in her height in the actual story. If you guys want, I can do that. I know exactly where to put it! It won't be until after we get Naoto, though... but whatever!**

**Actually... I might combine some of the suggestions. XD You guys'll have to wait and see.**

**As for Rise, a lot of suggestions came up from the first time I brought it up. I am NOT ignoring your suggestions. I take every suggestion seriously. I've made a count, and noticed that it's about even on both sides, with a few more on the girl side.**

**I just got an idea. Maybe instead of making her like Yosuke... she likes Teddie instead? I mean, he's cute and bubbly, and they're on the same page most of the time (like the cuddle thing on the New Year's Event or something [forgot]). Or maybe not, who knows?**

**You know what... I'm not gonna tell you guys how I'm going to do it. You guys may leave suggestions and what you guys think, of course. It's just that you'll just have to wait and see how I'll handle Rise. ;D Although I don't know what to do with her either way, exactly. I've been throwing some ideas around for both sides. Once you guys choose, I'll think of something... _**

**ApplePajama! I need your help if I'm gonna do Ryoji-Rise! T_T I've got some ideas from Rwanime442 (thanks a bunch!), although nothing too concrete. XP**

**Anyway, yeah just decide, guys! XD I'd put up a poll on this, but the pairing one is still up. I'll take it down after a while and put up the Rise one.**

**I'll end the Rise thing probably a few days/weeks before we actually hear about her. I mean, I need some time to plan out her Social Link and interactions, y'know?**

**And to those who are curious about Adachi, you got a little bit of him before. Just not enough, right? Well, you'll just have to wait. I've decided to not have him narrate. I mean, for those who know the Persona 4 story, you know who he is. To be honest, I only have a few ideas I'm throwing around, nothing concrete yet.**

**As for Naoto... I don't know if I should gender-bend her yet. XP I don't have too much to work with about this (and too little people are giving their two cents about this). Then again, I don't have much to work with Rise and Adachi, either. I don't know if I'm creative enough for this. XP Things'll come soon enough I hope.**

**Special thanks to Rwanime442, Ark2012, SHSLAwesome, and (Guest) PersonaOtaku. I would tell you how I feel about the pairings, but I'm afraid that would affect the people's votes. XP**

**Also thanks to all the people who favorited and/or followed this story! ^_^**

**Thanks for reading! *bows***


	32. Update 3

**THIS IS OUTDATED**

* * *

><p>Some of you might've wondered, "Why the hell are you planning things out so early? We're not even half-way yet!" Why? So then I won't forget!<p>

Yes... as much as I hate to admit it, I am very forgetful. I have a notebook full of different suggestions and ideas from you guys, and a few of my own.

There are a few things I want to discuss:

**First: Naoto**

I've decided to gender-bend Naoto.

I've seen some worries about Shadow Naoto. Don't worry about that. I have an idea or two, and it might just work. And it's not gonna be about his gender. Just gender-bending him fixes that problem. It's another one, and I'm not gonna tell you guys. XD

And about his personality, it's mostly going to be the same as his female counterpart.

Well, now here's another pairing! Misaki x Gender-bent Naoto!

And just so you know, just because Misaki laughs a lot, doesn't mean she can't be a calm and collected leader! She just proved that when she encountered Kanji, and that's not the last time she's gonna be calmly handling stuff! Hahaha!

**Second: Rise/Ryoji-Rise**

Now that I've decided to gender-bend Naoto, I've been thinking about Rise. If I gender-bend her, then the boy-to-girl ratio would be off, right? Of course, it's not like I've planned her/his Social Link that much yet. I'm still thinking about it. If you guys keep telling me about what you think about this, then I'll decide. XD

**Third: Adachi**

No, I'm NOT going to make them lovers. I've heard that there are some Persona 3 Portable female protagonists pairing up with Adachi and... I don't know if I want to read them. So now you can stop worrying about this topic at least. ^_^

* * *

><p>The main problem here is the gender-bending it seems. A lot of people seem to like the idea of gender-bent Naoto, since her concept character was actually a guy. So you guys got what you wanted!<p>

Some people wanted Naoto to stay a girl. I can understand why (I've stated the problem up in the first part), but I think I got it (like I said before).

And there are a lot of suggestions on both sides for the Rise/Ryoji-Rise thing. You guys are getting me confused! XP Some say they should be sisters, some say they should be best friends, some just want her to stay a girl.

Although PersonaOtaku did bring up a good point. What would Ryoji-Rise's Shadow be like? And what about his dungeon? Well... I have no idea! XD Like I said, I haven't decided anything yet.

Oh, and just an FYI, I play the game as I'm writing this story, so if it's taking a while to upload right before a dungeon, well now you know why. I have to go through the stupid dungeon. I hate some of them... like A-'s... Ugh. Hate that dungeon.

Anyway, here's my update! Hopefully I make up my mind on the Rise thing. Thanks for your suggestions!


	33. Finding Out a Little More About Kou

**5/15, Wednesday (After School)**

Yosuke sighed and said, "Given the pattern so far, Kanji's already inside the T.V."

"I wonder what the Midnight Channel really is…" Yukiko muttered.

"At first, I thought it was one of those 'paranormal' things, but when I gave it a try, it was real," Chie said. "Turns out it's actually connected to another world…."

"If there's a rumor going around, that means a bunch of people are watching it," Yosuke deducted.

"How did the rumor go…?" Yukiko asked. "If you stare into a turned-off T.V. on a rainy night…."

"No one in their right mind would try something that ridiculous, don'tcha think? Unless someone urged them to," Yosuke muttered. "But if you actually try, it does work. And not just once. If this rumor spreads and everyone starts watching the Midnight Channel…."

"Anyone who'd appear on it would have their reputation ruined," I finished, crossing my arms.

"It could cause a huge panic," Chie added.

"If Teddie is right, the missing people themselves create the stuff we see," Yosuke recalled. "So it's not random. It's specifically related to whoever goes missing." Chie sighed.

"Yukiko had a show too, but she doesn't remember anything like that," she said.

"Um, this might be a little off subject, but…. The culprit is probably watching the shows that come on, right?" Yukiko said.

"Maybe," I replied.

"No doubt. He's probably sitting back and enjoying—" Chie began. "Wait a sec… I bet he IS enjoying it! He's probably laughing his head off watching the 'show' that comes on after the throws people into the T.V.!"

"Ahhh, I get it. Yeah, it's definitely possible," Yosuke agreed. "Ugh…. Now I think of the killer, I get this image of a total sicko! 'I wanna see everything about you, Yuki-chan!'" he said in a deeper, stupider voice.

"Urgh, ugh, ugh!" Chie cried. "Wait, if people saw Yukiko's show, do you think people were watching what happened to me too!? Oh, that is IT! That killer is dead meat! I'm going to leave footprints all over his face!"

"Chie, calm down," I told her.

"Guys!" she said. "First, we save Kanji! Then, we crush the killer! Finally, we crush the killer and send him to hell! Got it!?"

"Yep," I said with a nod. "But, uh… Chie…. The last two reasons were the same thing."

Yukiko chuckled, then burst out laughing.

"Uh, I know," she told me. I smiled as Yosuke and Chie stared at Yukiko.

"Well then, let's get going!"

* * *

><p>I landed on my feet and put on my glasses. The others dropped down beside me. We were in the T.V. right now.<p>

"Hey Teddie, someone's here, right?" Yosuke inquired. Teddie turned around.

"Oh…. Yep. I think someone's here," he muttered. He sounded… distracted and sad.

"You think…? Do you know where he is?" Chie demanded.

"I dunno," he answered.

"We think it's a boy named Kanji," Yukiko explained. I glanced at them. Didn't they notice that Teddie's acting weird?

"I dunno," he muttered.

"What's wrong, Teddie?" I asked with a worried look on my face.

"Not feeling well?" Chie added.

"Well, I sniff and I sniff," Teddie explained, "but I still can't tell where the smell comes from."

"Aren't you thinking too much about too many things?" Yosuke said. "I mean last time, you were wondering about who you really are and how long you've been here. Your head's empty to begin with, dude. Don't stress out over stuff too much."

"You're right," Teddie agreed. He sure didn't sound better, though.

"Whoa…. He's seriously down about this…" Chie murmured.

"If you can't figure out where Kanji is, we're in deep trouble," Yosuke told him. "We can't just wander around aimlessly in a place like this…."

"I know what might help!" Teddie exclaimed suddenly. "You should give me a clue about this Kanji person! It's just a feeling I have. I think I could concentrate better with it. Do you have anything that could give me a good understanding of him?"

"Something about Kanji, huh…?" Yosuke murmured. "I can't really think of anything besides all the rumors about him."

"Yeah, it's not like we know him that well," Chie piped in.

"I just need some sort of hint…. Something that tells me what he's really like."

"Why don't we ask around and find people who know Kanji-kun personally?" Yukiko suggested.

"Sure," I said.

We headed back out.

* * *

><p>I decided to talk to Kanji's mother first. I mean, she should know him pretty well, being his mother and all.<p>

I walked up to her.

"Ah, are you here to ask about Kanji too?" she asked me.

"Oh, uh… yeah," I answered meekly.

"Sheesh, I wonder where he's wandered off to now. He's always like this," she muttered._ I don't think you want to know where he is…._ "You know, there was a small boy who came in asking about him not too long ago. I talked to him too, but I haven't seen him around lately. He's probably at Junes."_ The boy with the hat…?_

"Okay, thanks for your help," I said with a bow._ Now… where's the boy?_

I decided to do some stuff while I was here first before I went out of the shopping district.

* * *

><p>"Ah, you're looking for a small boy wearing a hat?" the lady said when I asked her about the boy. "Ah yes, I've seen him. He's been hanging around here lately. Even asked me all this stuff about that… incident. He was just over there a little while ago, but…. Maybe he'll be back tomorrow…?"<p>

"Oh, okay. Thanks for your help," I told her, giving her a bow._ Guess I'll come back here tomorrow._

Anyway, I have some stuff to do, like report to the girl who has a crush on the boy on the roof.

* * *

><p>"D-Did you ask him? What did he say?" she asked. I reported what the boy said to her. "I see, so that's how it is…. I see. Ah, sorry! You really helped me out, though! Here, take this." She handed me a Goho-M.<p>

"Thanks," I told her, and walked out of the classroom. I bumped into Ms. Sofue on the way out.

"Ooh, perfect timing," she said. "Misaki, can I look to you for some assistance?"

"Sure," I replied.

"Ah, that's very kind of you. Allow me to explain," she said. "The truth is… I need some materials to build a new dowsing rod. The rod I've been using seems to have stopped responding to my power. That's why I thought it might be best to construct a new one, but…. Special objects can only be created from special materials…. Do you know anywhere you might be able to find rare raw materials, Misaki? If you do, perhaps I can reward you with something from my artifact collection. I have some very special things you'll never find in stores…. So what'll it be?"

"I might know a place or two," I mused. She laughed.

"Then fate guides our hands as history's cogs turn. I'd like you to find me a Suspicious Pole if you can, please."

"No problem," I said.

* * *

><p>I wandered into the practice building and saw a girl looking troubled.<p>

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"I've got a little problem, to be honest with you…" she admitted. "Think you could… hear me out?" I nodded. "Thanks…. Well, the thing is, my dad… suddenly started making these plastic models. That's fine and all, he can do what he wants, but… he got glue all over my desk! I can't put anything on my desk anymore. I want to replace it, but… I don't have a fitting board. The lumber store in the shopping district closed down, too, so I really don't know what to do."

"I think I can help," I said.

"Wow, really!?" she exclaimed. "I can count on you, then!?" I nodded. "He might get glue on it again, so a thin, cheap one is fine! You're the best!"

"Heheh… thanks," I muttered._ Now that I've got nothing else to do, might as well go to basketball._

* * *

><p>I went to basketball practice. We practiced dribbling today. I guess I wasn't bad at it, but I couldn't dribble in between my legs. I felt stupid as I watched the other guys do it with ease.<p>

"Ugh... I wish I was more athletic..." I groaned.

"It's alright, Misaki," Kou said, patting my back. "You'll be able to do it in no time!" He gave me a thumbs up. I smiled at him and nodded.

"I hope so."

* * *

><p>"Huh? The others already left? This is exactly why this team is—" the P.E. teacher began before he cut himself off. Practice was over a few minutes ago, and he came to tell us something. "Whatever. Hey, good news—you're getting a team manager. Now you guys won't have to take turns doing all the work anymore. You can thank me later!" He turned to the girl next to him. She had light brown hair and eyes. I didn't know if I liked her all that much….<p>

"… Ai Ebihara," she introduced herself.

"Great! You can take it from here. I'm going home!" the teacher said, walking out the door. The girl turned to us.

"I'm gonna tell you guys straight up, I'm not lifting a finger for this team," the girl named Ai announced. "I wouldn't be caught dead watching out for a bunch of sweaty guys." Her eyes landed on me and her eyebrow shot up. "What's a girl like you doing here?" she questioned me.

"Ahahah… well… let's just say I pulled some strings," I replied sheepishly. She regarded me suspiciously before saying, "I'm out."

"Huh? Then why'd you…?" Kou began.

"I've missed too many days of school. But they'll let me move up if I manage a team," Ai explained shortly. "But don't expect me to put any effort into it. For the most part, I'm not gonna be here."_ B*tch…._ "Well, see ya. Or not." She sashayed out the door, and I heard Kou sigh.

"…. Yeah, that's about what I expected when I saw Ai here. So much for having a manager," he muttered. I nodded mutely. "Anyway, I'm hungry. Let's grab some food."

* * *

><p>Kou, Daisuke, and I sat down at our usual spot in Aiya, ordered some food, then started chowing down when it came out.<p>

"Man, this place has been calling to me in my dreams ever since I had to bail on you guys," Kou said.

"Wow, really?" I laughed.

"…. How'd it go?" Daisuke asked him.

"What, the dream?" Kou replied. I tried not to snicker. "Oh, you mean my family? Well, it's… complicated." He started laughing.

"Daisuke told you all about it, right, Misaki?" he asked. "My family's pretty interesting. Arranged marriages for political gain are pretty standard with us. Just the other day, I was greeting people at one of those high society gatherings. Can you imagine? Me, at one of those things?"

"I can see that," I said with a nod.

"Aha! So you can tell how refined I truly am, Misaki?" he joked. "Anyway, if you ever run into anyone in my family, don't tell them I eat here or talk like this. At home, it's nothing but studying, tea ceremonies, and lessons. To them, I'm the prim and proper 'Kou-sama.'"

"'Kou-sama'?" Daiske repeated in disbelief.

"Yep…. That's what they call me," Kou replied. "I know it sounds crappy, but hey, they feed me and give me an allowance. I need to do my part too, y'know."

"I don't know, man…" Daisuke said.

"Ahh, it doesn't matter. It might all be over soon anyway," Kou sighed.

"Huh?" I said.

"We're an old-fashioned family, so the Ichijo name has been passed on from generation to generation. But the last male of the family, my dad, didn't have any kids to pass the name on to. Well, they weren't going to let the Ichijo name just up and die, so they adopted me. And then what do you know? My dad ended up having a kid after all. A girl. I guess you could say she's a little sister to me…. Her name's Sachiko. She's almost two, and she's really cute, y'know?" I could tell he was trying to sound cheerful, but it wasn't working.

"Cheer up, man," I told him.

"'Cheer up'? C'mon, I've got more cheer than I know what to do with! See, just look at me." He grinned widely.

"Uh huh," I deadpanned, clearly not believing him. Daisuke was silent this whole time.

"It's better this way," Kou murmured. "Becoming the successor would be a major hassle…. And really, it should go to a blood relative." He glanced at us and said frantically, "Sorry. Didn't mean to put a damper on the mood. C'mon, let's eat!"

"…. Yeah," Daisuke agreed quietly.

"Just forget I said any of that stuff. Oh man, did I tell you guys about the one-in-a-million shot I made?" he asked excitedly, smoothly changing the subject. We talked about practice. Daisuke looked a bit troubled… and to be honest, so was I.

We chatted for a while before we parted ways.

**(Evening)**

I decided to hang out with Nanako tonight, so I sat down in front of her at the coffee table.

"…. Yes?" she asked.

"Wanna spend some time together?" I asked her.

"Oh, umm…" she muttered. "Big sis…." She fidgeted.

"Go ahead and ask," I said.

"Okay! Umm… well…" she said, looking relieved. "Are you an only child?"

"Yup," I answered with a nod.

"So you're just like me. Oh, but I have you now, so…." She smiled cheerfully. "A while ago, Daddy told me… that our family won't get any bigger…. But now I have a big sister!" She beamed at me, and I smiled back. "Let's talk, big sis! Umm… I wanna hear about your school!"

"Okay! Hmm… I have a few wacky friends…." I told her.

We talked about various things. It was late, so I put Nanako to bed and went to my room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I've planned out Male Naoto's Shadow and how the fight's gonna go and what his problem is, with the help of Ark2012 (many thanks!). Of course, the only problem now is the Social Link. Oh, and in case you guys are wondering, Male Naoto's gonna look like his Concept Art. Go look it up if you don't know what Concept Art Naoto looks like.**

**I don't know about Rise yet. XP Still deciding. I guess I'm just gonna see which one I can work with more. XD If you guys can give me good ideas for either Rise or Ryoji-Rise, please tell me.**

**PERSONA 4: GOLDEN SPOILERS UP AHEAD:**

**I was thinking about the Band Event for a while now. I'm thinking of having Misaki play the violin (just to make it a bit different, y'know?), but I don't know what's she gonna play. Maybe the intro with the brass instruments (the ones Chie and Yukiko were using) and playing a harmony to accompany the singer, y'know? What do you guys think? XP**

**Annnnnd that's about it. XD Just a tiny update. It'll take a lot of planning, though. XP**

**Thanks for reading!**


	34. Filler 1

**Filler 1: What does the Investigation Team think of Misaki?**

**A/N: These fillers (recommended to me by ApplePajama) are going to just feature the characters that we have seen so far, or are in the Team, so no Kanji or Naoto yet.**

* * *

><p>"So what do you guys think of Misaki?" Yosuke suddenly asked one day. Misaki was off doing something else like she always does.<p>

"I dunno... I guess she's kinda crazy," Chie answered. "I mean... she laughs a lot."

"Way too much," Yosuke agreed with a nod.

"But she looks like a nice person," Yukiko said. "I mean, she's calm and smart."

"Yeah. And you'd never know just by looking at her," Yosuke added. "She just looks like the really innocent, optimistic girl or something. Never think she'd be the leader of our group."

"But I feel like I can depend on her," Chie murmured. The other two nodded.

"Let's go ask Teddie what he thinks," Yukiko suggested.

And so they went in and asked him.

"What I think about Sensei?" he mused. "She's awesome and nice!" He beamed. "And her Persona powers are cool!"

"At least she's not bossy..." Yosuke muttered. "In fact, I think she doesn't actually 'rule' us that much, y'know? Just during dungeons. She never actually tells us what to do on our side."

"Now that you mention it... you're right..." Chie agreed.

"But I feel she's still fit for our leader. Remember Kanji-kun?" Yukiko said. "She handled him pretty well." Chie and Yosuke shuddered, remembering how they were chased by that brute... and how closes they were to being beat up.

"I still don't believe how she got an answer out of him without being punched..." Yosuke muttered, shaking his head.

"What happened with this Kanji guy?" Teddie finally asked. They reluctantly told him what happened, and how Misaki got an answer out of Kanji. "She's amazing!" he exclaimed. The rest of the team could almost see the flowers popping out of his head.

They left him alone to admire his Sensei and went out.

"But still... I think she laughs too much," Chie said. "She might even be worse than Yukiko..."

"Well... at least she's positive," Yosuke muttered.

"She doesn't seem bothered by my laughing," Yukiko piped in.

"That's cause she laughs just about as much as you... maybe even more," Chie sighed.

Suddenly, they saw Misaki.

"Crap! Act natural!" Yosuke whispered as she walked up to them.

"Hey guys!" she greeted with a bright smile.

"H-Hi, Misaki," Chie said.

"What're guys doing here?" Misaki asked.

"J-Just talking," Yosuke answered.

"Yeah, nothing special," Yukiko agreed. Misaki studied them for a few seconds.

"Relax, guys!" she finally said. "You guys look so tense! You guys should laugh more, y'know." She beamed at them. She glanced at her phone and looked panicked. "I gotta go now, guys. See ya!" Their leader jogged away.

"That was close!" Chie said, looking relieved.

"She didn't even ask what was going on..." Yukiko muttered.

"Yeah," Yosuke said. "I'm kinda glad, though. I dunno how she's gonna react if she found out we're talking about her behind her back... Anyway, I have to go now. My break's just about over."

"Okay, we have to go, too," Chie said. "See ya."

They parted ways.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that concludes Part 1 of "What does the Investigation Team think of Misaki?"! More to come! XD**

**Anyway, I wrote this filler so that you guys can have something while I'm doing the dungeon. Hope you enjoyed it! XP**


	35. Going To Save Kanji! (Part 1)

**5/19, Thursday (Lunchtime)**

The test results were up. Yosuke looked like he was filled with dread.

Hmm…. Holy cow! I got in the top 25! I felt pretty proud of myself.

I was heading back to my classroom when Daisuke asked me to come to practice. He said that Kou was looking a bit down._ Hmm…._

Ayana wanted me to go to band practice today. I felt bad that I couldn't go to the practices. But, then again, I _did_ have a life to save, and lives are beary important [sorry, couldn't resist. I just love puns XD].

**(After School)**

_First things first, talk to the hat boy,_ I thought.

I found him standing near the elevator closest to the window.

"Um… hey, Naoto-kun?" I greeted nervously.

"…. Is there something you need?" he asked. "Many people from the town come and meet here. It's a very convenient location, isn't it?"_ Is he talking about us…?_

"Yeah, it is," I agreed. "Anyway, did anything unusual happen with Kanji Tatsumi lately?"

"Hmm. Very well," he said. "It seems to be an urgent matter, so I'll simply tell you. If you're asking about the recent events, then yes, there was something out of the ordinary. It was something I felt when I was with him…. So I told him outright that he seemed to be an odd person."_ Man… this guy has some_ great_ social skills._ "After I said that, his expression changed all of a sudden…. I was quite surprised. On that basis, I believe his actions were somewhat forced and unnatural throughout the time I was with him. He may have some sort of complex…. Though I have no proof of this."

_Hmm…. Looks like Kanji-kun has a complex or something…. And he acted weird when Naoto-kun called him an "odd person,"_ I summed up.

"Thanks for your help, Naoto-kun," I told him with a small bow. He nodded to me, then continued to stare out the window.

Now… before I go in… I gotta take care of some stuff.

* * *

><p>I entered the Velvet Room and found only Margaret was present.<p>

"Oh..." Margaret said. "Excuse me. Do you have any business here? Mmm…. As you can see, my master is currently away. If your errand isn't urgent, I regret to ask you that you come back lat—" She paused for a few moments, looking away from me. Then she continued, "No, that won't do. This room is bound tightly to your fate. Nothing here happens without a reason…. There must be meaning in our meeting here alone….

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," she finally greeted. "I am Margaret. I am the one who rules over power, invited here after my predecessor's sudden disappearance. You may be the first person who has ever been welcomed here by someone other than my master. The Velvet Room is inseparable from the heart of its invited guest. The shape of the room and its residents are selected by my master, based on the number of guests and their destiny. Shall we chat? I feel that is what I am called to do." A faint smile appeared on her face. Her eyes looked different… more… gentle than before.

Suddenly everything froze.

The card had a silhouette of something that looked like a vase. The top of the "vase" was a cross, with yellow circle with a dot in the middle on top. Above it was a crown. The pink and yellow background was covered with black, slithering vines.

It had the Roman numeral III….

The Empress Arcana.

Everything unfroze.

I felt surprised. I didn't know that you can have a Social Link with_ Margaret_ of all people! _Who's next, Igor?_ I shuddered. _I hope not._

I glanced up and saw Margaret giving me an odd look.

"Are you all right?" she asked with a tiny hint of worry in her voice.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" I answered. She nodded.

"It seems you have several 'Social Links' already," she said. "Recurring meetings, recurring words…. By deepening your understanding of one another, your bonds strengthen. But sometimes the heart is shaken more by a single action than a thousand words. Do you understand?" I nodded. "Hmhm…. Today's meeting might be classified as that single action." She looked at the floor for a second and nodded to herself. "I've decided. The strand of fate you follow…. Entangle me within it as well. Perhaps a new bond will be spun. There is something I have wanted to know, and you are the first guest I welcomed here…. In light of today's meeting with my master absent…. Hm. I believe we are both special to one another…." She smiled. "I want to know more about you. First, I think I shall have you show me your rare Persona ability. Let me see…. Show me an Ippon-Datara that knows Sukukaja. The heart is shaken more by a single action than by a thousand words…. Have you already forgotten? Hmhm, then I have something to look forward to. I wish you well." I nodded to her, then went out.

_I have to fuse Personas for her, huh?_ I mused.

Anyway, I still have stuff to do…. I sighed and headed towards the shrine.

* * *

><p>I called everyone up and told them to meet at the "secret headquarters."<p>

Everyone stared at the fox. Yes… the fox from the shrine.

_Um… why the hell are you here?_

"Whoa, something's here!" Chie exclaimed. "A-A fox!? When did it…?"

"Whoa, where did this guy come from!?" Yosuke yelped.

"Dude, it looks scary too!" Chie said. I reached down and patted it on the head.

"Oh… this apron…. I think I've seen it at the shrine before," Yukiko said.

"Well…" I began. I told everyone about my encounter with the fox.

"Huh…? Cure us with leaves…?" Chie muttered.

"It works wonders, I swear," I told her.

"Huh…? Cooperate with us?" Yukiko said.

"Are you serious…? So it wants money in exchange for fixing us up?" Yosuke said. The fox yipped, as if in affirmation. "What's with this guy? It acts like it understands what we're talking about."

"It probably does…" I mumbled as it yipped again.

"It yipped again…. Maybe it really does understand what we're saying!" Yukiko said.

"B-But when you think about it, that means the police on duty and whatnot didn't find this fox, right? If it followed after us, then it really is something…." The fox yipped again. "Huh…? Y'think it really understands us? What should we do…?"

"Well… I'd feel bad if we trapped it. It doesn't look like it'll do us any harm," Yukiko said. "What do you think, Misaki?"

"Well then, let's take it with us!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah. And thinking about what happened to the shrine…. Don't you think this 'curing' would be a big help for us?" she asked.

"Are you suggesting we take it into that other world…?" Yosuke cried. "Mmm…. I guess that might work. It doesn't seem like it's going to leave that easily, either. And I definitely don't want it being all sulky and getting up to mischief in the store…." The fox looked satisfied.

"All right, then, let's go!" I yelled.

* * *

><p>"Sensei, you're here!" Teddie greeted after we all landed. "Any clues? Oh, you found some!"<p>

"Yeah… but first…" I murmured. "We need to get some things from the first dungeon."

"'Dungeon'?" Teddie repeated.

"Oh, sorry… it's a gaming term," I explained. "It means a place where you fight monsters and get to the big boss monster at the end."

"Ohhhh, okay," he said. "And which one's the first 'dungeon'?"

"Yukiko's castle," I answered.

"Haha, so you're using gaming terms now, Misaki?" Yosuke asked. "I didn't know you were a gamer!"

"Well now you know," I replied. "We need to go there so that I can get some stuff."

"What stuff?" Chie asked.

"…. Stuff." They gave me skeptical looks.

I patted the fox's head and it gave me a Soul Drop. Eh…. Better than a sharp stick in the eye, I guess.

"All right, let's go!"

* * *

><p>I went in with the group and fought a bunch of Shadows… too many, in fact. None of them dropped what I wanted!<p>

After grinding [BTW, "grinding" is a gaming term for doing something to get something for a while, like killing enemies for experience or items, for those who don't know] for what felt like hours, I finally got the items.

The enemies here were really easy, at least.

I didn't open any golden chests here because… well… there's a new dungeon we're about to go to! We might get better stuff there.

And of course, Teddy trailed behind us, giving us encouragement and info.

Yukiko learned Recarm, which was nice.

After what felt like FOREVER, I finally got the items I needed for Ms. Sofue and the girl in the practice building.

"All right, let's go back," I said, rummaging through my bag for a Goho-M.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So school started where I am. That means I have less time to work on this, so if the uploads are kinda slow, then that's why. T_T**

**This day is looooong, with Shadow fights and the boss... Yeah...**

**I might go back to weekly updates because of school. XP Sometimes, the uploads are gonna take a while (y'know, because of homework and stress and all that good stuff).**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^**


	36. Going To Save Kanji! (Part 2)

"Oh, you found out more about Kanji, right?" Teddie asked me when we got back to the entrance. I nodded and told him what I'd found out. "Hmmhmm, a complex…. Th-That's it!? That's all I have to go on!? You're working me to the stuffing…."

"Sorry, but that's all I have…" I apologized.

"Oh well…. Then I'll open my nose up real wide and sniff real hard!" he cried. "Hrmmmmm…." He sniffed a few times, facing this way and that. "Oh, I think I found something! It feels like our target! Is this it!? Follow me!" He led us away.

* * *

><p>The place was awfully muggy….<p>

"Is it just me… or does the fog here seem kinda different?" Chie muttered.

"It's different," I confirmed. I took off my glasses, wiped then, and put them back on. It didn't help.

"My glasses are fogging up," Yukiko muttered.

"Man, it's hot in here. This place is like a—" Yosuke began before some calm jazz music came out of nowhere.

"C'mere, pussycat…" a manly voice purred. "Oh…. Such well-defined pecs…. There's no need to be scared…."

"Uhhhh…" Chie said.

"…. What's happening?" I asked.

"Now, just relax…" the manly voice drawled.

"Hell no!" I yelled at it._ Well… at least the music's nice._

"W-Wait a sec! I-I don't wanna go!" Yosuke cried.

"Man up, Yosuke," I said, giving him a deadpanned look..

"Is Kanji-kun really here, Teddie?" Yukiko asked him.

"The nose knows!" Teddie exclaimed._ The nose…. Pff…._ I stared chuckling to myself, and everyone stared at me.

"Hahaha! Uh… sorry," I laughed. "It just… reminded me of something." I tried to keep my voice calm. Pretty sure I failed, though.

"We're… really going in here…?" Yosuke sobbed. "Urgh, I can already feel the sweat rolling down my back."

"That's because it's so hot…" Chie said.

"Well, let's just suck it up and go in," I told everyone loudly, walking inside.

* * *

><p>"This place is really steamy…" Teddie muttered. "So why do I feel a chill down my fuzzy spine?"<p>

"That's not good," I replied._ Why do I feel so much dread…?_

"I think I caught a cold…. My nose is totally useless too," he continued. "Kanji-kun, where are you!? Answer us!"

"That's not gonna help," I told him and scanned my surroundings.

It looked like we're in some kind of bathhouse…. _What the hell is up with this dungeon?_ I sighed, and pushed open the first door I saw and saw a Shadow. I snuck up behind it and hit it with all my might.

Two shadows appeared. They were some kinds of bear wearing a police outfit. They had a whole in their chest with a floating key in the middle of it. We finished them off quickly and moved on.

A few minutes later, we encountered a red Shadow.

"Wanna go for it?" I asked.

"Yeah," Chie answered. I snuck up on it and hit it.

Two dice appeared. They were black, with red edges. On one side was this creepy green face with two swirls on it. The other sides had different numbers of dots on them.

I ran and sliced at one, cutting a deep gash. It recoiled, and charged at me. I barely dodged it and hit it as it was going past me, finishing it off.

I glanced at the others and saw they had defeated the other die already. I gave them a thumbs-up and kept moving.

We then encountered these cupid things with red faces. They had a white bib on. Everything else was black. Each of them were holding a white bow with three arrows in it. I killed one with the help of Yukiko, but Chie was acting weird. She looked like she was panicking. She suddenly ran towards me and kicked me.

"H-Hey, what was that for!?" I demanded. Yosuke quickly came over and smacked her out of it.

"Thanks, Yosuke," she said. She then glared at the cupid and kicked it. Hard. It flew back before dissipating.

"Whew! What a kick!" I told her. She gave me a triumphant smile.

* * *

><p>We moved on to the next floor.<p>

"Hmmm…. We haven't come across this Kanji-kun yet…" Teddie muttered. "Oh yeah, Sensei! Can I ask you something? Why is it so steamy here? Does it have to do with Kanji-kun? I don't really get it…. Do you know what it is, Sensei?"

"Um…. Not really," I answered.

"I see…. So there are things even Sensei doesn't know about…" Teddie mused.

"Hey, I'm not a god, okay!" I snapped.

We encountered three cupids and one huge rock with a red mask on it. It had a few hands sticking out of its side and top.

I finished off one of the cupids, and the others took care of the other ones. I slashed down at the rock, but it didn't do much._ Figures…._

I summoned Phoenix and used Garula. I killed it in one hit.

"Nice one, Misaki!" Yosuke praised me.

"Haha, thanks," I said just as cards flew down in front of my face. It took me a few seconds to figure out what to choose. I ended up choosing Saki Mitama. The cards disappeared and I my party members looking at me oddly. "I was just… uh… daydreaming for a second there…. Nothing to worry about!" I explained nervously.

We exited the room and spotted a golden Shadow.

"We're getting it," I told the others as I ran towards it. It noticed me and started running. "You're not getting away!" I yelled at it. I caught up to it, and hit it hard.

Two of the golden gloves appeared. They looked the same as the ones in Yukiko's Castle.

Yosuke summoned Jiraiya. His Persona swooped down at one of the Shadows but missed.

I frowned, and attacked it, but it didn't do much.

"Focus on one!" I yelled, summoning Orobas. I used Hysterical Slap on one of them. The other Shadow made Chie panicked again, and she attacked Yosuke. Luckily, he dodged out of the way.

Yukiko healed the whole party a bit as I used Hysterical Slap on the same one again. Yosuke smacked Chie out of it (again) just as the Shadow summoned another one. A die appeared.

"Crap!" Yosuke yelled.

"Kill the add first!" I told everyone.

"'Add'?" Chie repeated with a confused look on her face. The only one who didn't look confused was Yosuke.

"Got it!" he replied, attacking the second Shadow.

"I-I mean the die!" I corrected myself. They finished off the die, and switched back to the golden Shadow.

Chie summoned Tomoe. Tomoe sliced at the Shadow with her naginata, but missed. Yukiko was keeping up with the heals as I slashed at it, dealing a critical blow. It dissipated, much to my satisfaction.

Jiraiya learned Garula, and Tomoe learned Gale Slash.

"Congrats, guys!" I told them. "Well then, let's move on."

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Teddie cried. "I just got goosebumps! Something is on this floor! Be careful…!"<p>

"Thanks for the warning, Teddie," I said._ Something on this floor, huh?_

I was about to open a door when Teddie said, "Ooh, this presence…. Could it be Kanji-kun?'

"Let's find out," I said, pushing it open.

We ran into the room and found a half-naked guy with scary dark blue aura around him. All he was wearing… was something to cover his private parts.

"There he is!" Chie yelled.

"Kanji!" Yosuke shouted. Suddenly the guy turned around, microphone in hand.

"Ooooooh, my my! Thank you for your undivided attention!" he drawled. "At last, I've penetrated the facility! These images are coming to you live from inside this steamy paradise! But I've yet to have any charming encounters. Could this hot fog be the cause? It's like steam rising from sweat! Mmm, my body's tingling with excitement!" Above him, the words, "Men only! Kanji Tatsumi in Rosy Steam Paradise!", or something like that appeared.

"Crap…. This is so wrong in so many ways…" Yosuke mumbled.

"I remember it being kinda like this on Yukiko's show, too…" Chie muttered.

"N-No…. it wasn't like this…" Yukiko denied, waving her hands frantically in front of her. Suddenly, the sound of people mumbling started coming out of nowhere.

"Those voices again…" Chie muttered. "Wait, are they louder this time?"

"These voices…. I was wondering whose they could be, since it's only the victim in here…. Is it the people outside?" Yosuke asked.

"You mean, everybody who's watching the Midnight Channel? They're reacting to the 'show'? Chie asked. "Yikes…. If people are watching Kanji-kun now, he's gonna be a legend in a way he never intended…."

"Well, it's really his Shadow, not him. But normal people won't know that…" Yosuke said. We heard more voices.

"The Shadows are getting really restless!" Teddie announced anxiously.

"That elusive thing I truly yearn for…. Will I finally find it here?" Shadow Kanji giggled. "Well then, onward and deeper to reach further realms of romance! Let's get going, dammit!" At that last sentence, he sound like the Kanji we all "knew" and… "loved."

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko called after him.

"Guys, it's his Shadow," I told them, trying not to hit my forehead too hard.

"That was his other self…. It's trying to reveal his hidden feelings," Teddie explained. "It seems much worse than that time with Yuki-chan's Shadow…. At this rate, it might end up getting 'bear' naked."

"'Bear'… naked…?" Yukiko repeated.

"Nice one, Teddie!" I praised him.

"Oh man… here it comes," Chie groaned.

"Uh…. Was I supposed to laugh?" Yukiko asked.

Teddie fell to his knees, defeated as I burst out laughing.

"Cheer up, Teddie!" I said. "I liked it!" He looked up at me with grateful eyes. "Anyway, let's go."

Konohana Sakuya learned Fire Break after a lot of battles... A lot... of battles...

* * *

><p>"A man can't back down at a time like this!" Kanji's voice shouted. "Just watch, and I'll show you how manly Kanji Tatsumi can be!"<p>

We continued through the floor, killing tigers chained down with a huge metal ball, some buff, black, rainbow-haired dudes, and women with red cloaks on their heads and red masks sitting on upside-down pyramids.

* * *

><p>"A…" Kanji's voice said. "A man's…. A man's got a thing called pride. Heheh, I'll never lose…."<p>

"Hrmmm…. It's no good…" Teddie muttered. "The steam's getting worse, so I can't tell where Kanji-kun is at all…. Maybe it's already time for me to retire from being a guide…." I stared at him.

"D-Don't say that!" I said. "Maybe it's just the atmosphere or something. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's not your nose's fault."

"S-Sensei…" he muttered, looking at me with grateful eyes.

We fought these things that had huge hands for robes. They had blue faces and outfitted with pink jester's hats and shirts. Even though they came from red Shadows, they're not that hard…. Maybe we've been training too much….

We also fought another gold Shadow, plus some black and red ravens holding lanterns.

Some pink gloves with blue rings on their forefinger and black heads with blue masks bothered us, too. Of course, we finished them off quickly.

* * *

><p>Teddie gasped. "This feeling…. The other Kanji's staring at us!"<p>

"Hey there, cutie pie!" Kanji's voice drawled. "Are you trying to break the barrier of the acceptable, just like me?"

"No! Sensei came to rescue Kanji!" Teddie yelled.

"OoooOOOOoooh! Does that mean you're yearning for me? Is that so?" Kanji asked. "Oh, that makes me soooooo happy! Well then, I simply MUST prepare something spectacular for you! I'm looking forward to seeing you soon! Well, tootaloo!"

"Sensei…. This little bear's getting too scared to go on…" Teddie muttered, cowering behind me.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" I mumbled, walking forward with the others trailing behind me.

"You're not the only one..." Chie muttered.

* * *

><p>"Yeeeek!" Teddie cried. "For some reason, this floor is really steamy. Hang in there, guys!" I frowned.<em> This can't be good.<em>

I looked ahead of me and noticed it was really, really steamy. I could barely see about one meter (three feet) in front of me._ This isn't good at all…._

Somehow, we didn't get ambushed.

We soon arrived at a door that had tons of steaming coming out of it.

"…. You guys ready?" I asked. Everyone nodded, and I pushed the door open, feeling dread.

In front of us was a_ very, very_ tall Shadow. He was all black, except for his blue face and rainbow hair.

"Welcome to Man's World!" Shadow Kanji announced. "This place is heating up from the sudden entry of a fine young man! To celebrate this encounter, I've prepared a special stage tonight! A single match with no time limit! Who will be left standing in the end? Now, pour out your hot blood and guts!"

"Ooh! Don't lose, Sensei!" Teddie encouraged.

"I'll try…" I muttered as the huge Shadow charged at us. "Scatter!" I dodged to the side and ran behind him.

_All right… time to put some tactics I've learned to some use! First things first, lower his defense._

I summoned Apsaras and used Rakunda on him. The purple sphere appeared on his chest and shrank. I heard the sound of the others summoning their Personas as I tried to dodge another attack, but failed. My golden hair was flying in front of my face, blocking my view.

I found myself skidding back a meter or two. _That hurt!_

_And I really need to tie my hair back..._

Yukiko healed me up, and I charged into battle. Suddenly, Jiraiya swooped in and punched the Shadow in the face. Tomoe was slashing at him, leaving tiny gashes on his chest.

The Shadow used a spell. A column of golden light appeared him and disappeared._ That's not good._

_Anyway, buff up the party!_

I summoned Izanagi and used Tarukaja on Chie, then Yosuke. Chie tried to attack him, but he countered and Chie skidded back a bit. Yukiko kept healing us up. She didn't attack yet, I realized.

"Chie!" I called. "Use Rebellion on yourself!"

"Got it!" she replied, summoning Tomoe once more.

The Shadow used Tarukaja on itself, which was not good.

"Orobas!" I yelled, summoning him. I used Dekaja on the boss. A circle appeared on him and disappeared._ Hope it worked._

Suddenly, the boss turned around and hit Chie hard, knocking her to the ground.

"Chie!" Yukiko cried. She healed her up and ran over to her best friend. I gritted my teeth as I saw a column of wind erupt on the Shadow. When the wind died down, I saw that the boss was drooping a bit._ Time to finish it off!_

"Die!" I yelled, summoning Izanagi. He swooped down on the boss and sliced across his chest, leaving a gigantic gash on the boss's chest.

The Shadow dissipated.

I leaned against my sword.

"That's our Sensei!" Teddie yelled. "I knew you would win!" I saw something on the ground and picked it up. It looked like a key.

"Whew…" I muttered. "Let's take a small break, then keep going." Everyone nodded.

* * *

><p>"No…" Kanji's voice rang out. "No, dammit! That ain't important to a man's man…. That's not what I want to become…. That ain't it at all!"<p>

"Hey, Sensei?" Teddie asked. "The world you came from seems really complicated. Ever since I met you, I really had to think hard about stuff like what I am…. So I kinda understand how Kanji feels. Sensei, we gotta save Kanji!"

"You bet!" I replied.

We fought another golden Shadow (so many today!), and some zombies connected by rods.

* * *

><p>"Ah…" Kanji's voice murmured. "This place is great…. It's wonderful here…."<p>

"S-Something definitely feels wrong!" Teddie cried. I wanted to be sarcastic, but I decided against it. "Sensei, we need to hurry." I nodded, and ran down the hallway.

We fought some black kings with red hair and purple crowns. They summoned some cupids, but we beat them in no time. We also fought some of those weird things with hands as robes, huge black beetles, tables with blue faces and red and black tablecloths with things floating above their heads.

* * *

><p>"I can't hear Kanji's voice," Teddie muttered.<p>

"You're right!" Chie agreed.

"Alrighty!" he yelled. "I'm gonna get myself pumped up again to look for Kanji! Concentrate! Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawr! Here goes!" He sniffed, turning his head a bit. "Whoa… this feeling! I think I've made a comeback! Kanji's not far from here! I'm positive he's really close by!"

"All right! Let's do this!" I yelled.

Chie learned Apt Pupil after a few battles.

We found the stairs pretty quickly, which was good.

* * *

><p>I quickly handed out some Soul Drops and stared at the door.<p>

"You guys ready?" I asked a few minutes later. They nodded. "All right, let's do this!"

We ran in and found two Kanjis.

"There they are!" Chie yelled.

"Kanji!" Yosuke shouted.

"I-I…" Kanji stammered.

"Oh, come now, enough with the charade," Shadow Kanji said with a smirk. "Isn't it awful to deceive people? To deceive yourself…? What's so bad about doing what I want to do?"

"That has nothin' to do with it…" Kanji muttered.

"I'm what you really want, aren't I?" Shadow Kanji murmured.

"Hell no!" Kanji barked.

"Ohh, how I hate girls…" his Shadow muttered, his expression turning dark. "So arrogant and self-centered! They cry if you get angry, they gossip behind your back, they spread nasty lies…."

_Eh, that's mostly true,_ I thought. _Girls are pretty evil…._

"They look at me like some… some disgusting THING and say that I'm a weirdo…" the Shadow continued with an angry look. "Laughing at me, all the while!

"'You like to sew? What a queer!'

"'Painting is so not you.'

"'But you're a guy….'

"'You don't act like a guy….'

"'Why aren't you manly?'" Shadow Kanji said in a high-pitched voice, obviously mimicking the girls. "What does it mean to 'a guy'? What does it mean to be 'manly'? Girls are so scary…."

_Hmm…. I dunno if they're_ scary, I thought.

"I-I ain't scared of 'em!" Kanji denied.

"Men are much better…" Shadow Kanji muttered. "They'd never say those awful, degrading things. Yes, I vastly prefer men…."

"Hell with that!" Kanji yelled. "What makes you think you can say that sh*t with my face!?"

"Why, you're me… and I'm you…" the Shadow murmured with a sneer. "You do know that, don't you…?"

"No…. Nuh-uh! No way!" Kanji shouted. "There's no way in hell that you're me!"

_Craaaaaaaaaaaaap, _I thought, unsheathing my sword. Shadow Kanji chuckled.

"You're me, and there's no denying it!" he yelled as scary black fog enveloped him. It grew and grew before it dissipated, revealing… uh… a something… that knocked Kanji back.

It was huge. The Shadow had a buffed black and white body. In its chest to neck area, red and pink roses bloomed around Shadow Kanji (who was half stuck in the huge black and white body). The body was holding these huge… uh… things that were shaped like some kind of arrow with a huge circle on one end. I stared at it in disbelief._ What the hell…?_

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko cried.

"Kanji-kun! Are you all right!?" I yelped, running in front of him. "If you want him, you gotta get past me, big guy!"

"Everyone, on guard!" Teddie yelled as the Shadow charged at me.

He swung his weapon at me, and I barely blocked it.

"I am a Shadow…. The true self," Shadow Kanji announced. "I'm just being true to myself…. And that's why…. I'll get rid of anything in my way!"

"Are these…. Kanji-kun's true feelings?" Yukiko muttered.

"This isn't really him! It's just his emotions going haywire!" Yosuke yelled, unsheathing his knives.

"This has nothing to do with you guys anymore! Didn't I just say I'm gonna get rid of you!?" Shadow Kanji yelled.

"Kanji-kun, get out of he—" I began as something hit me to the side. I rolled on the ground before skidding to a stop. "What—" I muttered just as I saw this huge, buff black and white guy. His smile was sadistic. I quickly stood up and jumped back.

"What the hell is that!?" Chie cried, staring at another one that looked exactly like the one that was in front of me._ Oh god…._

"Attack them first!" I ordered, summoning Izanagi. I used Rakunda on the two "adds" and jumped back as one of them swung his arm at me.

Suddenly, one of them healed Shadow Kanji._ Crap!_

"Get the guy that's healing!" Yosuke yelled, summoning Jiraiya. Chie summoned Tomoe and used Rampage. Yukiko summoned Konohana Sakuya and used Agilao on the one we're attacking, but it didn't do anything to it. I gritted my teeth and summoned Ara Mitama just as Shadow Kanji punched me hard, sending me back a few meters.

I couldn't see clearly. The world was spinning wildly around me._ This is not good…._ I tried to get up, but to no avail. A few seconds later, the world stopped spinning, and I got up.

I noticed that they had finished off one of Shadow Kanji's minions, and are moving to the next one.

Chie kept using Rampage, hitting the main boss and his minion a few times, which was nice. Yukiko kept healing us up.

Suddenly, Shadow Kanji did something that made me_ very_ pissed. I didn't know what he did, but it worked.

"Die, b*tch!" I found myself yelling as I charged at him. I couldn't think at all.

I sliced my sword across his arm (I had no idea where I was aiming) and spun around, slicing him again. Chie entered my field of vision (looking very angry, too) and kicked him a few times.

"Go kill yourself!" Chie cried, kicking him some more.

"C-Calm down, guys!" Yosuke yelled.

"Burn!" Yukiko shouted, throwing her fan at his face.

"You guys shouldn't attack recklessly!" Teddie cried as we continued to attack him angrily. Yosuke finished the minion off and ran towards Chie. I continued to slice randomly, rage filling my mind.

"Stay out of my way! What's wrong with acting however I feel like!?" Shadow Kanji demanded, using a lightning move. Yosuke was knocked back, and he fell down.

The Shadow then turned to me and hit me with one of his weapons. I flew backwards and landed on my back._ Dang it!_

Suddenly, all the rage I felt disappeared. I glared at Shadow Kanji and summoned Izanagi.

"Die!" I yelled as Izanagi sliced clean through the Shadow's chest.

Chie summoned Tomoe (I guessed she's not pissed off anymore). Her Persona kicked Shadow Kanji in the head. Hard.

The Shadow's head snapped to the side and dissipated. I turned to Yukiko and grabbed her shoulders. "Calm down, Yukiko." Slowly, the look of rage disappeared from her face. Yosuke and Chie walked over to us.

"You guys okay?" Yosuke asked. Yukiko and I nodded and looked at Kanji, who was behind us.

"Dammit…" he muttered, getting to his feet.

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko cried.

"Wait, Yukiko! Something's wrong!" Yosuke told her. Shadow Kanji slowly stood up and slowly started walking towards us. I tensed up and tightened my grip on my sword.

"I-It's still coming at us! Kanji is still rejecting it…" Teddie said nervously.

"Well, I can't blame him with this many witnesses…" Yosuke muttered.

"Yeah…" I agreed.

"Such a passionate approach," Shadow Kanji murmured, staggering closer to us. I quickly held up my sword straight out in front of me, trying to warn the Shadow away.

"What?" Yosuke yelped.

"I think you… would make a wonderful boyfriend," the Shadow continued.

"S-Stop it! Y-You got it all wrong!" Yosuke stammered. I narrowed my eyes.

"Stay away," I growled. "Don't make me cut your head off."

"Enough…. Stop…. What the hell are you blabbering about…?" Kanji demanded.

"I don't care who…. Won't someone, anyone, please accept me…?" Shadow Kanji pleaded, stopping before my sword.

"Stop… it…" Kanji said, sounding strangled.

"Accept me for who I am!" his Shadow cried, stepping a bit closer.

"Wh-Whoa! I really don't swing that way!" Yosuke stuttered.

"Yosuke, calm down," I muttered.

"I said stop it!" Kanji yelled. He ran in front of me and punched his Shadow, knocking it down. My eyes widened, and I lowered my sword.

"Tch. Can't believe something like this is inside me…" he muttered.

"Kanji, you're…" Yosuke said.

"Yeah, I know…. I've known all this time I had something like you!" Kanji admitted loudly. "It ain't a matter of guys or chicks…. I'm just scared sh*tless of being rejected. I'm a total pansy who tries to make everyone hate me."

"That's a part of you too," I said with a knowing smile.

"Hmph…. You make it sound like you got it all figured out," Kanji scoffed. "C'mon, get up. Anyone who looks like me, I know they ain't so weak that they can't take a punch."

_Um…. He just got into a fight with us four…._ I thought. The Shadow slowly got up to his feet, though.

"I already know that you're me," Kanji admitted. "You're me… and I'm you, dammit!" The Shadow nodded and turned into a black, really buff mechanical Persona. It had some designs of a skeleton on it, and it was holding a huge lightning bolt in its giant hand.

"Congrats, Kanji-kun," I told him as he fell down and muttered, "Ngh…. Sh*t…."

"Kanji-kun!" Chie cried.

"Let's get him out of here!" Yosuke said. I nodded, and held out my hand.

"Let's go," I told him, flashing him a smile. He slowly took it, and I used most of what was left of my strength to pull him up. "All right, let's get outta here, big guy. And uh… Yosuke? A little help, please?"

* * *

><p>"Kanji-kun…. Are you okay?" Yukiko asked.<p>

"It's…. It's nothin'…" he answered. "Whoa…. Ngh…. Heheh…. I feel great…. It's like my mind's all cleared up."

"No need to act so tough, Kanji-kun," I said as Yosuke helped him up.

"Hey…. A-About what just happened…" Kanji muttered.

"We'll tell you about it later," I interrupted. "You need to recover first."

"Yeah…. You better," he said.

"We'll explain everything later. You need to take a rest now," Yukiko said.

"We'll be waiting for you at school," Chie told him.

"School…? Sure, if I ever feel like going," he muttered.

"You better go to school," I said. "You need the education, man. And we're not gonna go to your house to explain all of this, by the way." He sighed, looking defeated.

"I'll take this guy home," Yosuke offered. "If anyone asks, I'll just say I found him somewhere like this."

"All right," I said. "See ya."

**(Evening)**

Dojima, Nanko, and I were having dinner at the table in front of the T.V.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Dojima said. "Remember that Kanji Tatsumi guy I told you about? You know, the one who went nuts on that news special." I nodded. "His family's shop called in to report him missing, but now he's been found. I thought I'd let you know, since you go to the same high school."

"That's great!" I exclaimed, trying my best to look a bit surprised and glad.

"Yeah," he replied. We continued to eat for a while before he said, "One other thing. Some people have seen you around that textile shop lately, I hear. It's not the kind of shop students normally visit. Just what kind of business do you have there?"

"My friend took me there," I replied as calmly as I could. I felt my heart beating twice as hard, and I could barely breathe.

"A friend…?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yeah. Yukiko Amagi," I answered with a small nod._ Look calm. Look... calm._

"Oh…. That Amagi girl? That's right, her family's inn buys their stuff wholesale…" Dojima muttered, then sighed. "Fine. Just don't get yourself in over your head, okay?" I nodded, holding in my sigh of relief.

"…. Are you fighting again?" Nanako asked.

"N-No, of course not!" I replied hastily. "Your dad's just asking me some questions." I chuckled nervously. "Nothing to worry about!"_  
><em>

_That didn't sound suspicious at all..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! An update! XD Yeah... the battles in here are WAY simpler than they were when I was playing the game. Then again, I do suck at writing battles. XP**

**So... the pairings. I'm going to make Misaki lovers with Gender-bent/Concept Art Naoto and maybe one other person. Why? 'Cause he's a "new" character! XP  
><strong>

**For those that are wondering about the Bonus, it's not gonna come out anytime soon. XP You'll just have to wait. Patience, my friends! XD**

**And that's about it for this update. XP**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! ^_^**


	37. Turning In Quests and New Social Link!

**(After School)**

I glanced at my small notepad. I'd decided to keep a checklist on actual paper so that I wouldn't forget stuff.

_Hmm…_

I looked at the first item on the list.

"Give the pole to Sofue," it read. I nodded to myself and walked out of the classroom.

I found her and gave her the… Suspicious Pole.

"Oh…. I can feel a strong aura from this material. Yes, this will be the making of an exceptional dowsing rod," she murmured. "As history treads ever forward, I thank you, both for you effort and you kindness. Well, here is the reward I promised you. Ahaha… I found these by dowsing. Please, take them. Do not be shy." She handed me two Pulsating Stones. I bowed to her then walked away.

I glanced at my notepad and checked off the first item. Next:

"Give the girl in the practice building her board."

"The shopping district seems like it's going downhill these days, don't you think?" she asked when I finally found her. "Like the textile shop owner's son. He's that stupid delinquent kid…." She sighed and shook her head disapprovingly._Kanji…._ "Think HE can run that place?" I shrugged. "But I guess a city kid like you wouldn't understand stuff like that." I felt a bit insulted for some reason. Just because I'm from the city, doesn't mean I don't know stuff about the countryside!

I sighed and handed her the Fitting Board.

"Wow! How'd you find one this big!?" she exclaimed.

"Magic," I replied with a playful smile, making random hand gestures.

"Really, thank you so much! Now I can finally study at my desk again!" She rummaged through her pocket and fished something out. "Um…. Here, this is for you! It's not much, but…." She gave me some Royal Jellies. I bowed to her, then exited the school.

_What books does the bookstore have…? _I wondered. I went inside the dusty shop and picked up two books: "English Made Easy" (I don't need it 'cause I already know English, but whatever. Maybe it'll give me some more tips or something) and "Easy Origami."

Then I sold all of my dungeon loot to Daidara. He didn't even ask me how I got them, which I found kinda odd. Then again, I didn't think of an excuse….

Suddenly he exclaimed that he had an inspiration and made some Punk Shoes, whatever those are. I was about to buy it when I realized I'd become broke after it.

_Better buy 'em later…._ I thought and sighed.

I decided to work at the day care center today.

* * *

><p>I watched the children play.<p>

"I don't wanna play house!" Yuuta exclaimed. "Let's play hide-and-seek! You're it!" He pointed at me, then ran away. I sighed and closed my eyes just as a kid ran into me.

_Crap!_ I thought as I lost my balance. I landed on my butt and glanced up. The kid who pushed me was chubby.

"Sorry!" he apologized.

"I-It's all right," I told him, getting to my feet. "But you should really watch where you're going." He nodded, then ran away. I stared at him. The kid ran pretty fast for a guy that fa—big.

One by one, the kids left until only a handful of them remained.

"Yu-kun!" a day care advisor called when every other kid had left. "Most of the children have been picked up, so you can go home now," she told me. "I'll see you next time!" I nodded and glanced at Yuuta. He was still playing with one of his friends.

* * *

><p>On the way home, on the Samegawa flood plain, I spotted Yuuta's mother sitting at the gazebo. I hesitated for a moment before walking up to her.<p>

"Oh, you're…. you're the caretaker I met the other day, right?" she asked me. I nodded. "Oh! It's already this late?" she exclaimed, looking at her wristwatch. "I've been sitting here all this time…."

"…. Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"…. Oh, no, it's nothing," she answered tiredly. She chuckled. "You're a high school student, right? You seem so mature…."

"Uh… really?" I blushed and glanced down. "Th-Thanks, I guess." If having blonde hair and blue eyes equals looking mature, then… maybe I'll have an easier time getting jobs? I tried not to chuckle out loud. I highly doubted it.

"I was heading over there…. I was going to pick up Yuuta…" she continued. "But then something came over me…. My legs just went weak all of a sudden. Every time I think about him…." She let out a heavy breath, looking a bit more… depressed. "…. Have you heard? Yuuta and I aren't related by blood."_ That's… nice to know…. I guess…._ "He's my husband's child. I've lived with Yuuta for six months now…. Only six months…. Already six months…. We don't ever talk to each other. My husband is away, so…. Heh…. It's just the two of us, alone together in a dark house."

"Just give it some time," I told her. "Things'll—" I stopped._ "Give it some time", huh? Life's not_ that_ easy._ _Things don't just solve themselves by just… waiting… I think. _I shook my head. "I mean… Yuuta's a good kid."

"Oh…. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell you all this out of the blue," she apologized. "But I'm glad you listened to me, that you spoke with me…." That's not the first time I've heard that…. Of course, the people who said that to me don't talk to me anymore. "Haha, it's sad, but these days, I don't even get to have simple conversations like this…" she continued a bit sadly. I frowned for a second. _That must suck._

"If you need anyone to talk to, just turn to me," I told her with a smile. She gave me a weak smile in return.

_…__. Must be hard to get used to the countryside…._

* * *

><p>Everything froze. It was starting to get a bit redundant, having the same voice ringing in my head and a card showing up. Well… at least the card provided some kind of variety.<p>

There were four things on it. The one on the top left with blue background was what looked like a trophy cup with steam coming out of it (everything was like a silhouette, of course. The one on the top right with red background was a black triangle with another white outline of a smaller upside-down triangle in it. The bottom left one with yellow background was some kind of bird…. Can't tell what it is. The bottom right one with gray background was a square with a white square in it. And right in the middle was a black and white circle.

On the bottom was the Roman Numeral XIV.

The Temperance Arcana.

* * *

><p>Everything came back to life.<p>

"I'm Eri Minami," she introduced herself.

"And I'm Misaki Ishida," I replied with a small bow.

"Nice to meet you. Please take good care of him," she said. I gave her a wide grin.

"I'll try my best!" I gave her a thumbs-up.

"…. Oh, that's right. I still need to pick him up," she muttered. "It was nice seeing you." I nodded and waved to her as she quickly walked towards the day care center.

_Hopefully things work out between the two of you._

**(Evening)**

I went outside and wandered around. I soon found myself at the shrine. Of course, I didn't believe in ghosts, but this place gave me the creeps.

I walked forward a bit and suddenly felt someone staring at me. Quickly, I glanced around and spotted a woman dressed in a white kimono. She was really, really pale. I didn't mean to, but I stared back at her.

"I came to offer my fuda to celebrate my child's fifth birthday," she told me. "But my children at home are hungry…. I cannot go home without something to feed them…. Do you have any Genji Ayu you could spare?" I slowly nodded and gave the fish to her. "Th-Thank you very much. This is an expression of my thanks…. Please, take this." She pressed something into my hand. It was a Gyosen Stone.

"Um… thanks," I told her with a tiny bow before rushing back home.

* * *

><p>I went into my room as a thought hit me. What am I going to do with my hair?<p>

It keeps slapping me in the face whenever I fight in the other world….

I grabbed my phone and turned on the front-facing camera. I was not one to take selfies… but I don't have a mirror with me.

_What should I do with my hair…?_ I wondered. I stared at it for a few minutes._ Tie it up in a braid?_

Swiftly, I tied it into a regular braid, then picked up my phone and inspected myself._ Looks all right I guess. Back part's done, so what about the front?_ I blew at the clump of hair that was covering the right side of my face._ Maybe a pin?_

I rummaged through the boxes that I left in my room and finally found a bunch. My mom must've packed them without telling me. I sighed and pinned up my bangs. I picked up my phone and inspected myself once more.

_Eh, good enough,_ I thought, taking everything apart._ At least it doesn't take too long to get it ready…._

I plopped on the sofa and picked up a random book. "Office Work Manual." I let out a breath and started to read it.

I found the fold on the page I was on last time, and continued reading from there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! New update! XD It's a bit shorter today 'cause I started writing pretty late. XP**

**This is OUTDATED.**

**Some people have wondered about that part where Misaki gets kidnapped. That was a sneak-peak to a bonus I'm writing. I've stopped continuing it for now so I can focus on the main story. I'm almost done with the "story" of it, but of course, I'm gonna edit it and change it until it seems good to me.**

**I'm also planning to write a Misaki x All Guys (or the popular ones and the Investigation Team guys) Social Link and a few "extra" events (like the Christmas event, where Yu hooks up with a girl. In the main story line, Misaki is going to hang out with one guy. Of course, I'm going to add the other guys, too. XD)**

**Thanks for reading! *bows***

**Persona 4: Golden spoilers up ahead! Read at your own risk!**

**I'm also going to add White Day! If you don't know what it is, it's kinda like... a complement to Valentine's Day. So, on Valentine's Day (in Japan) the girls give the guys chocolate or whatever. On White Day, the guys give the girls something in return. Yeah. It's basically gonna be the flip of the Valentine's Day event in P4G. XD Can't wait for that.**


	38. Filler 2

**Filler 2: Kanji's Confusion**

The white-haired brute sighed. What the hell was all of that back there...?

Those kids just...

He shook his head. His head couldn't take all of that in. Like how they summoned... monsters out of nowhere, and that huge buff_ gay_ guy that just appeared... What was that?

Not only that, but after that fight... he felt something in his... soul? Brain? Mind? He didn't know, but something was definitely there. It freaked him out.

He tried to hit his head a few times, just to see if it came out. It didn't. After trying to get it out for a few days, he gave up. It was stuck there. Forever.

Then one day, he knew the name of the thing in his head. Its name was Take-Mikazuchi. It didn't tell him... he just knew. It kinda freaked him out.

Kanji decided to not think about his... thing inside his head and decided to think about the murder.

Who the hell threw him in!? That killer is gonna get it...

Wait... to beat someone up you need to know who the hell he was. Kanji thought and thought, but no one came up.

Well... he did suspect that weird group of kids for a moment, but they'd saved him. That ruled them out.*

Ugh! He needed answers! Who the hell was the killer, what's this thing in his head, who the hell were they, how the hell did the summon those things?

Not only that, but his body ached, and he was really sick. Hitting his head didn't help either. Actually... he was starting to regret it greatly.

Kanji sneezed, and he reached for a napkin.

He needed answers, and soon. He sighed.

Maybe he should actually go to school when he recovered.

***Yes, I know that just because someone saves you, doesn't mean they're on your side. Remember: this is Kanji. He's not exactly the brightest of the bunch.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I just got this idea now, soooooo yeah. XP I know it's only been a day since my upload, but whatever. I decided to upload this one today so that I won't forget to upload this later.**

**If you want me to write this for the other party members (like Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko) please let me know!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	39. Filler 3

**(Before Misaki moved to Inaba for a year)**

I walked to school with a scowl. I was gonna move... again. My parents always made me move. They always said it was for business... I didn't really believe them. I never complained, though. I knew that other kids had it worse than I did.

It was such a hassle packing up and then unpacking. Not only that, but I had to get used to the place. I sighed.

They moved me to a ton of places, ranging from the countryside, to places bustling with people. I'd gotten used to it, but that doesn't mean I like it. Really, the only good thing about all this moving is that I could see more of the world, really.

I only lived in Japan for about two years. I was born in America.

Everyone always said I looked like my father. I guess that was true, since I had hair and eyes like his.

He's your typical American, I guess. Blonde, blue eyes, has a regular ol' job, that kind of stuff.

My mother, on the other hand, was Japanese, with flowing black hair and dark brown eyes. She was an actual business woman, so she does travel a lot.

My parents were both kind, although my dad was a bit more strict.

I shook my head. For some reason... they never got along.

I never figured out why. I guess it just happens.

* * *

><p>I entered my classroom. Of course, no one noticed me.<p>

I found it kinda weird at first. Who wouldn't notice an American girl? But people got used to it quickly and left me alone. Well... I guess this was an urban city after all. Pretty sure they were used to seeing blonde people (most likely tourists) walking around the streets.

The teacher called my name just as I was about to sit down. I nervously went up to the front.

"Misaki here, will be transferring schools," he announced in his booming voice. "Her parents have to work abroad..."

_Or so they say..._ I thought.

"... so she'll have to transfer elsewhere," the teacher continued. I heard some "aw"s from my classmates, but I knew they were just saying it. I mean, it's not like I have any friends here. "Where are they going, Misaki-chan?" he asked me.

"O-Oh... they're going to America," I answered.

"I see," he replied. "Anyway, you can get back to your seat now." I nodded and went to my seat.

* * *

><p>I stood next to my parents at the train station.<p>

"We're going to miss you," my father said.

"Be a good girl, okay?" my mother added. I nodded and looked at the tracks.

"What are you going to do in America, anyway?" I inquired. They glanced at each other before my mom replied nervously, "I-It's just some business, dear." I scowled. "I see," I muttered.

We waited in awkward silence. During that time, questions filled my head.

_What's it like in Inaba? Am I going to be okay? What's Mom and Dad gonna do in America? Why can't they tell me the truth?_

The train rumbled into view. I sighed, starting to feel anxious._ Calm down,_ I told myself silently.

With a loud screech, the train came to a stop, and I felt a large, heavy hand on my shoulder. I glanced up.

"You're gonna be fine, all right?" my dad assured me. "Your uncle's a good man. He'll take good care of you."

"Don't worry about us, Misaki," my mom told me. "Just worry about yourself in Inaba, all right? We'll be fine." I nodded silently.

They said the same words every time. It didn't really affect me anymore.

Suddenly, the doors slid open. I stepped onto the train and glanced back.

"Bye Mom... Dad," I said. They waved at me with overly bright smiles. The doors closed behind me as I walked to my seat.

I plopped down on it and set my bag to the side. They'd sent the other stuff to my uncle already, which was nice I guess.

I stared out the window, watching as the scenery passed by._ I hope I'll be all right._

Inaba... I'd heard that it's in the countryside. I glanced up. It's probably boring. I mean... the countryside has fresh air and sometimes nice scenery. But it's... boring.

Pretty sure it's gonna be like every other place I've been to.

_**I never would've even guessed it back then, but... this would be the move that changed my life... forever.**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Another filler! XD So many this week! Yeah... I just had a whole bunch of ideas that didn't fit into the main story line, so I decided to write 'em all down and upload 'em before I forget.**

**Now... why did I make Misaki have blonde hair and blue eyes? Well... let's just say it's... "fuel" for some teasing. XD If you know what Teddie looks like... then you'd probably figure it out. XD**

**Eh, might as well put an update.**

**I've decided to keep Rise a girl, for a few reasons. First, it keeps the boy-to-girl ratio even (four boys, four girls). Second, I just felt like it was something I could work with better (sorry, Male Rise fans! I can't please everybody!).**

**Oh, by the way, some of these fillers WILL be referenced in the main story line. Soooo, if you happened to skip over one 'cause it was a filler, well some of it might be referenced. If you want to get the reference, then you'd better read the filler! XD I mean, you don't have to, really. Then again, you don't have to read this story either... Okay, let's not think about this too much.**

**Oh yeah, I'm planning on some fillers that are more... informative, I guess. Yeah. _**

**Notice how Misaki's real different in this filler? That's because she has no friends to bring out her... "inner," happier self.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! *bows***


	40. Learning More About Adachi

**(After School)**

"Yo, Misaki," Daisuke greeted. "I don't see Kou, but… you've got practice today, right?"

"Yup," I said with a nod.

"Haha, you're really getting into it," he chuckled.

* * *

><p>We worked on layups today. I was getting better at it, at least. I glanced around and saw that Kou wasn't here. Huh. Something probably came up.<p>

I spun the ball on my finger for a second or so before I started practicing my layups again.

"Man, I'm beat…. Let's call it a day!" a player said. He and his friend walked away. I frowned at them._ They don't even try…._

I practiced for a bit more, then left.

* * *

><p>I walked out to the front and passed by Kou's locker. I stared at it for a while before peeking inside. His shoes were still in his box.<em> Is he still at school?<em> I decided to look for him.

* * *

><p>I found Kou on the rooftop, laying down with his legs and arms spread out.<p>

"Hey. Practice over already?" he asked as I sat down next to him.

"You've got some nerve…" I muttered with a shake of my head.

"Haha…. C'mon, man, cut me some slack." He forced a laugh, then sat up. "I don't know if I like basketball anymore." I stared at him.

"What?" I asked.

"It's not my family, I got their blessing, they told me I can do whatever I want," he continued, sounding depressed. "It's funny…. They were all so dead set against me playing ball…. And now I can do anything. So I shot a few hoops this morning…. But I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't feeling anything." He looked at his feet. "It wasn't fun, it wasn't boring, it was just… nothing." He went silent for a while, then looked up at the sky. "I've been here since class got out. Then I heard all the sports teams starting to practice…. And I wondered, why does everyone look like they're having so much fun? I felt so distant…." He was silent again. "Ooh, a bird," he said out of the blue. "Birds have the life, man…. They can fly as high as they want. But me, I'm feeling like I've sunk to the bottom of the ocean." I smiled brightly.

"Let's go do something fun, then," I suggested.

"Maybe we should go to one of those group blind dating things. Whaddaya think?" he asked.

"Haha, no," I deadpanned.

"C'mon! Chicks totally dig guys who are all chilled out and intellectual, right?" he asked with an ironic smile.

"Well…" I muttered. "Most of them just go for the looks." I shook my head in disappointment.

"Anyway, I'll be at the next practice, so don't worry.

"Did you come up here just to find me?" he murmured. "… Thanks, Misaki." He grinned widely, and I gave him a bright smile in return. Kou looked in front of him. "I think I'll stay up here a little longer. I got some relatives coming over tonight, but I'm still not ready to meet 'em. I'm pretty good at putting up a façade, but it gets old sometimes.

"Sorry, I just need a little space right now," he apologized. I stood up and said, "It's all right. Don't stress yourself out too much, okay?" He didn't answer, so I left him staring at the sky and went home.

**(Evening)**

Dojima was home tonight, so I nodded to him, then went up to my room and finished reading "Office Work Manual."

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, 522 (Daytime)**

_I wonder how Kanji's doing…_ I thought as I headed downstairs.

"Good morning," Nanako greeted me.

"'Morning," I yawned. She was staring at a plant, looking troubled. "Huh? Is something wrong, Nanako-chan?"

"Um, we're growing veggies at school," Nanako answered. "The teacher gave us 'seedlings,' and told us to try growing them at home. I asked Dad, and he said I could plant them wherever I want. I don't know where's good though…."

"Hmm…" I muttered, putting a hand to my chin. "Hey, there's an open plot of land on the side of the house…. Wait, is that Dojima property?"

"The place next to the house? Mmm-hmm. We don't use it, but it's our yard," Nanako replied with a nod. "Is that where we're gonna plant the seedlings?"

"Yup! Follow me," I told her.

* * *

><p>We stood in front of the plot of land.<p>

"Is this where we're gonna plant the seedlings?" Nanako inquired. I nodded, and she beamed. I walked up to the plot and examined it.

_Let's see…._

There were some bricks and wooden planks against the wall to the left, along with a trashcan and some other things. There was also a bucket full of gardening stuff and a shovel. I glanced at the pile of dirt in front of me.

"Hmm…" I muttered, settling into my "thinking pose."

_I can make a small square or rectangle with these bricks and fill it up with dirt…._

I knelt down, put on a pair of gloves, and then began to work.

I grabbed a few bricks and started putting them into a line around the mound of dirt. About eleven bricks down, I turned them and went down about five bricks. I changed directions again and went down the same amount that I did for the first line, and changed directions, putting down the last few bricks.

Standing up, I grabbed a shovel and started to distribute the dirt evenly across the rectangle I made. After about 20 minutes, I finished. I stood back and admired my work.

"Wow! Can we plant the seedlings now?" Nanako asked excitedly.

"Yep!" I answered.

I showed her how to properly plant the seedlings. We finished after about 15 minutes.

"Do you think the veggies will grow?" Nanako asked.

"Of course!" I replied. "If we work hard, that is."

"Mmm-hmm. I'll do my best to take care of them!" she exclaimed, looking jubilant. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Hey, I want to make a sign!" I tilted my head to the side with a confused look. "No one will know what we planted until the veggies grow. I gotta write down that there are veggies growing here."

"All right, let's make one," I said.

"Yay! Thanks!" she cried.

We began to make the sign. She drew a tomato as I wrote down the words. After a moment's hesitation, I put down the English translation, too.

I stabbed the sign into the ground and stood back.

"We did it!" Nanako exclaimed, jumping around happily. "I'll be in charge of watering the plants!"

"I'll help too," I told her.

"Okay! We planted them together, so we should grow them together too!" she said, grinning so wide, I thought her mouth would literally crack in half. "If a lot of veggies grow, will our house be like Junes? I can't wait!"

I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped my lips._ Oh… the innocence of a young child…._

After I stopped laughing, I brought the gardening tools inside they wouldn't get more ruined than they were now and headed out.

* * *

><p>"Well, hey there," a housewife in farming clothes greeted. "You need some seedlings for your garden? These are the ones I have right now. Which kind do you want?" She showed me the seedlings. One was a Tiny Soul Tomato seedling and one was a Return Daikon seedling. Honestly, judging from her description, I would've renamed the Return Daikon the Returnips [can't resist the pun. BTW, a daikon is a turnip, sooooo yeah XD].<p>

"I'll get both," I said, getting out my wallet. I paid her for the seedlings and left.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Misaki-chan," Yukiko said when she saw me in front of the bookstore. "I don't see you here very often."<p>

"Wanna hang out or something?" I offered.

"Okay," she said with a nod. "I have to buy something from the book store…." She went inside, then came out a few minutes later. In her hands was a book about job certifications. "Thank goodness. That was the last one," she sighed. "Sensei recommended this book to me because it has details on a bunch of different job licenses."

"Going to apply for one?" I asked.

"Uh-huh…. That's right." She looked embarrassed. "Inside the T.V…. The 'other me' said she didn't want to inherit the inn. I think… those were my true feelings. So I've decided to be a little more true to myself. I… I refuse to inherit the Amagi Inn!" she yelled. "When I graduate… I'm leaving this town!" I blinked at her.

"H-Huh!?" I exclaimed.

"I said it," she sighed. She was silent for a second before breaking into a large smile. "I said it! So in order to live on my own, I'm thinking of getting a job license. I was thinking something along the lines of an interior decorator... What do you think?"

"Sounds good," I answered with a nod.

"It's cool, isn't it?" She beamed at me. "But it's hard. It costs money to get a license. And of course I can't tell Mother…." Yukiko glanced at the sidewalk. "If only there was a part-time job I could do discreetly…." I frowned and put a hand on my chin. Suddenly I thought of something.

"You can make envelopes!" I suggested. "You can do it in your room."

"Really…!? I'll go check the board, then!

"Thank you for keeping me company today," she thanked me. "I was a bit nervous about telling the others how I feel, but… I think I'll be all right."

"That's what friends are for, right?" I asked._ Is it, really? What_ are_ friends for?_

We parted ways.

**(Evening)**

Dojima was home today, too.

"I hear you and Nanako set up a little garden," he said. "Well, if you're gonna start something, make sure you do it right, okay? I'll help out a bit when I can." He gave me a small smile. I nodded and smiled back at him before heading to my room.

I picked up a book. The title read, "Off Today."

It was about some weak-willed teacher who had a hard time getting his students to learn.

_What bad students…_ I thought, flipping the page.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, 523 (Morning)**

"Should halt class and take a nap?" the King screeched. "Shape up, a**holes! Where's your dignity!? The first-years are slacking off because you guys are slacking off! Kanji Tatsumi is a perfect example! That lazy punk is always ditching! I'd expel his a*s from school if I were his homeroom teacher! You may not think it's any of your business, but it is! You could all be expelled just as easily! Cause any problems, and you earn a one-way ticket out of this place! You'd best keep that in mind!"

_I want a one-way ticket out of this class…_ I thought._ King Moron should be renamed King A**hole… or the King of Bullsh*t. _I glanced at his buck teeth. _Or King Gopher._ I tried not to laugh, but failed anyway. I earned a glare from King Moron, and wanted to melt into my seat.

**(Lunchtime)**

"Misaki! My buddy! My pal!" Yosuke greeted. "You've got free time today, don't you? Don't you!?" I stared at him. He sounded desperate.

"I'll think about it," I answered with a firm nod.

"You gotta be kidding me!" he groaned. "Well think about it, please! I'll be waiting for you after school.

"Oh, Misaki-chan," Yukiko said, walking up to me. "If you're not busy after class, would you walk me home? I'd be happy if you would consider it. See you later…."

I stared at her._ When did I get so popular?_

**(After School)**

I fused Gurr (since I didn't have a Jester Persona) and went to Junes.

* * *

><p>Ha! I knew I'd find Adachi here!<p>

I bought some seedlings and then went up to him.

"Hm? Oh, it's you," he said. "Good timing. Wanna hang around and talk for a while? That way, it looks more like I'm—err, strike that, okay?" I eyed him suspiciously, then laughed.

"Sure," I answered.

"Good for you! You're a good listener. The kind who gets promoted!" he praised. "What are you doing? Shopping for dinner?" I shrugged and then nodded. "I live alone, so taking care of dinner can be pretty tedious."

"Why?" I asked.

"I guess a high school student wouldn't get it. I just get so tired after work." He sighed. "So I make some cup ramen or something."

"No one makes you dinner?" I asked him.

"You mean like a girlfriend? I had a girl until a little while ago. It kinda didn't work out. She looked great, but her attitude was—Hey, I'm not talking about this!" he yelled, and I laughed.

"So what's your preference on girls?" I inquired jokingly.

"Cute girls are the best. Though I go for the real knockouts, myself," he answered._ Did he forget I'm a girl?_

"I see," I said.

"The most important thing is that they should be good cooks. Everything else, I can take or leave…." I had to laugh at that.

"Really!? They have to be good cooks?" I gave him a playful smile. Suddenly, an elevator door opened, revealing an old woman.

"Tohru-chan! Is that you?" she called. Adachi quickly spun around and muttered, "Sh*t…. she found me."

"Are you off work?" the old woman asked. "I hope you're not doing anything dangerous!"

"Oh…. No, I'm still on the clock. I was just on my way back to the station," Adachi muttered.

"I'm so happy to see you working hard," the woman cried. "I brag about you to my neighbors all the time! I'll bring you some nimono, okay? You have to take care of yourself! By the way, I saw this detective show on T.V. the other day…." She kept talking to him for a bit before Adachi interrupted her.

"Um…. I need to get back…" he muttered.

"Oh, is it that time already? I hope you day goes well, then," she said, hobbling away.

"Finally…" Adachi sighed. "I guess her son has the same name as me. Maybe that's why she's been hanging around me ever since she found out. I don't know. She always brings huge heaps of that nimono to the station! And she'll talk your ear off if you let her…. It's so annoying."

"She cares about you…" I began. "But then again, it does seem pretty annoying."

"Doesn't it? She's like that practically every day." He sighed. "She's the exact opposite of my parents, so I can't relate to people like that. She's lonely, I guess. I don't think she has any relatives. I can't just ignore her, either. It's part of my job. The police have been busy lately, so I'm the only one who can deal with her." Despite his griping, Adachi looked fairly happy. Is the "other side" of Adachi? "Though I wish I shared a name with her grandson instead! I'm still only 27, after all," he continued. "Well, I should head back, or Dojima-san will really chew me out. See you." He walked out of Junes, and I went home.

**(Evening)**

I continued to read "Off Today." The weak-willed teacher eventually psyched himself up enough so that he could finally control his students. He really changed throughout the book, going from "I give up" to "I can do this."

About thirty to sixty minutes later, I finished it. I was filled with tender feelings.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Two chapters in one day!? Yeah, I had some free time today, so I decided to upload. XP**

**If you didn't read my update in my latest filler (Filler 3), then read it!**

**Thanks for reading! *bows***


	41. Shopping With Yukiko

**(Lunch)**

"Hey, Misaki…" Kou greeted me tiredly.

"Hey," I replied.

"Oh yeah, there's practice today, huh?" He glanced at the floor. "…. Well, I'll be there. Laters…." He wandered off, and I raised an eyebrow._ What the hell was that?_

**(After School)**

"Oh, Misaki-chan…. I don't think I've met you after school before," Yukiko said as I walked in front of her.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Oh, I'm in charge of this bulletin board. I have to change what's posted up here every so often. I'm done with it today, though." I nodded, then wondered, _Should I hang out with her today…?_

_… Sure, why not?_

* * *

><p>Yukiko dragged me to the Junes grocery department.<p>

"Why are there so many different types of food…?" Yukiko sighed. "Even eggs come in so many varieties…."

"So you can make a variety of meals," I replied with a playful smile. "Anyway, why're you shopping here? Making dinner at the inn?"

"No! I'd never dream of it!" she cried, looking shocked. "I don't think my food's nearly good enough to serve to the guests." Despite saying so, she looked pretty happy. "I was just thinking of practicing my cooking. Since I've decided to leave town…. Eating out all the time is bad for you, right? So I'm going to get some practice while I can!"

"Haha, good luck!" I responded heartily.

"Thank you!" she said. "Oh, yes. I was thinking that maybe you could taste-test my food sometime…." I raised an eyebrow. "I want someone to eat it and let me know how it is. I thought I'd improve quicker that way…. And knowing you, I'd get an honest opinion. W-Will you…?"

_She looks like she can cook pretty well…. Even if she can't it can't be all that bad, right?_

For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this. I ignored it._  
><em>

"Then count me in!" I laughed.

"Really!? Thank you!" she almost yelled, smiling jubilantly. "When I obtained the power of Persona, I thought, 'I can do it….' I used to think I couldn't do anything on my own, but maybe I really can. I depended on others up until now, but from this point on, I want others to depend on me…. I'll do my best!"

_Well… I already depend on you…. I mean—you're the healer of the group! One of the most important roles in a party!_ I didn't say any of that, although I let my bright smile turn into a tiny, knowing smirk. Luckily, she didn't notice.

"Now then, um…. Where do they sell lobsters?" she muttered.

"Uh…" I murmured.

I helped out with her shopping then went home.

**(Evening)**

I picked up a book and glanced at the cover. "English Made Easy," huh? Welp, might as well read it.

It started with common some common English greetings like "good morning" or "good night." I skipped the first dozen pages, and continued reading. Nothing new, either.

_Did I waste my money buying this book…?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay another chapter! Yeah, this one's a bit shorter. I wrote this pretty late, so that's why it's kinda short.**_  
><em>

**Oh man, Misaki shouldn't have ignored that bad feeling! I can't wait to write her reaction to Yukiko's cooking! XD**

**Oh yeah, thank you so much for favorite-ing and following this story! I really appreciate it! *bows***


	42. Yukiko's Cooking Sucks!

**Wednesday, 5/25 (Early Morning)**

"I saw a new job posting on the town bulletin board!" a girl cried. I glanced at her. "The daily pay for being a tutor looks really good," she continued.

"Yeah, but…. Don't you need to have more knowledge before anyone would ask YOU to tutor them?" her friend replied.

"Wh-Why would you say that!? Anyway you're wrong! It turns out you need understanding to take the tutoring job!" the first girl snapped.

"Yeah, but you don't have much of that, either," the friend said with a smirk.

"That's not true! I understand everything!" the first girl protested. "Maybe I can start washing dishes at Shiroku bar. You need understanding there, too."

_Interesting…._

**(After School)**

"I've seen you around here a lot," a man told me as I was staring at the selections in front of the book store. "Are you interested in books?"

"Yeah," I answered.

"I read a lot, but I end up throwing my books away when I'm done with them," he said with a shake of his head. "I feel bad for the books, though. I thought maybe someone like you can give them a little love…. So are you interested?"

"Tell me about it."

"Ah, I see. But, I never said I'd give you my books for free."_ Ugh… should've known. _"I want a peach seed," he continued with a tiny smirk on his face. "Bring me one of those and I'll trade you for a book, okay?"

"All right," I answered._ Hmm… let's see if I have one…._ I rummaged through my bag and brought one out. The reader's eyes instantly lit up.

"All right, let's trade for that peach seed," he said. "Do you have it?" I nodded. "Oh, nice. I like this one. Okay, here you go." He handed me a book. The title read, "The Gentle Way." Huh.

Anyway, I decided to check out the new jobs.

I read the pub dishwasher job info. It said you need some understanding. Why you need understanding to wash dishes at night, I don't know. I decided to accept the job, though.

Next one: hospital janitor. Apparently, you go at night, too. It says you need courage. Psh. I got that in the bag! I mean, what can be scarier than Shadows? I accepted the job.

Last one: tutor. You go at night, too. Huh. Anyway, it says you need understanding. That's something I have plenty of. I accepted it, too.

"Oh, hi Misaki-chan," Yukiko said as I was looking through my locker. I had forgotten something that I put in there and found some Segaki Rice.

"Hi," I replied. "Uh, wanna hang out?"

And so, she dragged me to the flood plain.

She handed me a homemade boxed lunch.

"It came out well, so I packed it up. Try it out," she told me. I opened it up and studied it. It looked normal. Suddenly I caught a whiff of something that smelled_ horrible._

"Well… let's eat!" I tried to say brightly. It must've sounded a bit strangled. I mean, it did to me.

"Go ahead!" Yukiko said with a firm nod. She looked at me expectantly.

I started with the… omelette-looking thing, regretting my choice greatly. Hmm…. It's actually sof—what the hell!? There's like a freaking rock inside!

I caught another whiff of this stuff. It smelled burnt, yet raw…. Suddenly, I felt my stomach lurch, and I quickly covered my mouth. It wouldn't be good if I threw up here….

After a long while I finally swallowed it, feeling sick.

"… You're not about to tell me how delicious that was, are you?" Yukiko muttered, looking sad.

"W-Well… there's always next time," I replied, setting the food on my lap.

"I-I suppose…. Thank you." She let out a relieved sigh.

"What are you doing?" someone suddenly asked. I glanced around and found Nanako.

"Hi," I greeted her with a nod.

"Ah, Nanako-chan…. Well, I was just having her try my boxed lunch…" Yukiko answered.

"Ooh, I want some," my cousin said, jumping up and down excitedly as Yukiko glanced away.

"I-I'm sorry, but I can't give you any. It's not good…" she murmured._ Yeah, you'll_ die_ Nanako…._

"Oh. If you make a good one, will you let me have some?" Nanako asked.

"S-Sure, if you want," Yukiko replied uncertainly.

"Yay! I'm rooting for you!" Nanako exclaimed, beaming at the older girl.

"Nanako-chan…. Thank you. I'll do my best, okay?"

"I need to go now," Nanako suddenly said. "I'm going to Mai-chan's house. Bye!" She spun around and walked away.

"Be careful," Yukiko called. She then shook her head. "Umm… I'm sorry to drag you around…."

"I'm having fun," I replied with a bright smile._ Well… it wasn't fun when I ate that… thing…._

"R-Really? I'm glad to hear that," she said with a relieved sigh. "Only about a year left, huh…? I need to be able to do anything on my own by then…."

"Good luck," I told her, flashing her a thumbs-up.

**(Evening)**

I continued to read "English Made Easy." I flipped to the middle of the book and read some of it.

There were no new things to learn. I sighed and tossed the book to the side.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, 526 (Afternoon)**

I studied the map of Ancient Egypt in the textbook.

"You'll also find a picture of Great Pyramids, the pride of Egypt," Ms. Sofue said. "It was said that these pyramids were built by slaves. However, upon excavation, attendance records of the workers were found, disproving that theory."_ Interesting._ "Hohoho, I'd believed in the nobility of the ancient Egyptians since even before they found those records... Ancient remains are the real stars of history! Don't you all feel the romance that comes of looking back on ancient times?"_ Kinda. History's pretty interesting at times._ "My older brother is just a boring old samurai with no interest in ancient civilizations. He looks like an idiot in the kabuto! This nemes is much more elegant!"_ Honestly, I prefer the samurai look._ "Hmm? You there! Mr. Hanamura! Don't start zoning out just because I changed the subject! Tell me how the theory that the pyramids were built by slaves was disproven!" She pointed her crook accusingly at Yosuke.

"What!?" he cried. "Uh…. Something about laborers?" I sighed and shook my head.

"Yosuke, you should pay attention more. It's interesting!" I hissed.

"Hey shut up!" he snapped.

"It's attendance logs, daydreamer," I told him.

"Impressive, Mr. Hanamura. You've got it," Ms. Sofue told him when he repeated my answer. "Yes, the theory was disproven after the attendance logs of the laborers were found. There are even notes listed as reasons for absence, such as 'hangover'! If the labor was being done by slaves, they wouldn't have been allowed to take days off for things like that, would they? It seems that the long-prevailing theory was very different from the truth."

"Thanks, Misaki! I'll have to listen to the lectures more attentively…" Yosuke muttered.

"You'd better," I replied with a smirk. He sent me a glare before turning back to the front.

**(After School)**

I sat down at a table with Yukiko at the Junes food court.

"Ummm, notebooks, three colors of pens, a loose-leaf folder, labels at the stationery department…" Yukiko muttered, checking her list. "Then the furniture department. I want to look at the desks. Those and the lamps…."

"What's all this for?" I asked, trying to look at her list.

"Studying!" she giggled. "I'm thinking of studying seriously for a job license. Though I haven't decided on exactly which one I'll pursue. But I was thinking of trying for all the ones I feel I can earn. I've started working at night, you see. Remember the job you told me about? Thanks to that, I have some money…."

"Huh? Well, if it isn't the manager of the Amagi Inn," someone drawled. I glanced up and found a suited man, accompanied by two other people. I eyed him suspiciously. "Or should I say, the manager-to-be," he continued with a smirk.

"I see you haven't gone home yet," Yukiko told them curtly, glaring at them.

"Well, I can't very well go anywhere until the next bus or train departs. This really is the boonies. Stuck here with nothing to do…. Man, the countryside is the dumps."_ Wha—! No… calm down. Everyone's entitled to his own opinion. There's nothing I can do about it._

"Then why the hell are you here?" I asked. He glared at me and opened his mouth to speak.

"I beg to differ," Yukiko interrupted. The suited man directed his attention to Yukiko.

"Turning down sweet deals is part of country life, too, is it?" he chuckled dryly.

"Maybe it's cause you look like a pedophile," I muttered. "And your deal actually sucks." _Whatever it is. _He glared at me once more before walking away.

"Oh…. I'm sorry," Yukiko apologized. "Those people are from the T.V. station. They wanted to cover the Amagi Inn…."

"You said no?"

"Yes…." Her face turned pink. "It's a 'news of the weird' show…. It isn't real journalism. You know that our inn was associated with Ms. Yamano's murder, right? They wanted to make a special called, 'Hot Springs Getting Too Hot for the Amagis!?' It was an abhorrent title. Mother turned them away…. But maybe she shouldn't have declined."

"Huh?"

"I mean…. If it gets a bad reputation…. We'd lose customers, and the inn really would close its doors. Then…. I'd feel better about leaving."

"….. What? Are you serious?"

"I'm serious…" she muttered darkly. I simply stared at her. "But you're right, there's no real point in saying things like that," she continued. "I'm leaving under my own power…. My life is in my hands now. And of course, I want to help everyone. You too, for being such a patient listener all the time.

"W-Well, let's go shopping," she suggested. "First is… the stationery department…."

**(Evening)**

I took a deep breath and told my uncle that I was gonna work part-time in the evenings.

"What…? You're working part-time in the evenings?" he repeated, looking a bit shocked. "Hey…. I'm your guardian, you know? Do you think I'm going to allow you to do something like this?"

"…. You should," I replied.

"You seem rather composed about it," he muttered. "Well…. You can probably get away with it because you have no intention of doing anything bad…. Sheesh. All right, I'll allow it. I believe you. It's better than having you sneaking out behind my back. But, even though this is a small town in the countryside, there's a lot of chances to get into trouble. Watch out. It's a promise, go it?" I nodded.

I just stood there next to him awkwardly.

"So um... How's it going?" Dojima suddenly asked me. "Oh, er…. Well, maybe that wasn't the right line…." I could tell he's struggling to find the right words. "I don't consider myself an old man yet, but when it comes to high schoolers…. I don't know what to talk about." I chuckled.

"Want some ideas?" I joked.

"You're that bored…? Well, have a seat," he sighed, gesturing to the seat in front of him. I took it. "So…. What have you been doing after school?"

"Working," I replied._ Y'know… fighting random blobs of black goo and knights with shining armor, summoning awesome flying beings, running away from red goo, stuff like that. Totally normal._

"Oh, really…? You're pretty responsible for your age," he said, looking impressed.

"Haha, thanks."

"…. Whoops. This is turning into an interrogation, isn't it? But it's not as if we have much in common… except for the murders." I went silent for a moment. Guess he still suspects me.

"Tell me about yourself," I said with a nod towards him.

"About me? You're interested in the strangest things…." He shrugged and I laughed. "It's just what it seems. I'm a simple country detective living with my daughter. There's nothing about that to interest a high school kid…. But you know, it really is good to have you around the house. I didn't think Nanako would be so happy…. Hell, I'm already tired of hearing 'big sis' this and 'big sis' that….. You're more like a very young sister to me than a niece." I burst out laughing again.

"Should I call you big bro?" I asked with a humorous smile.

"Hah, stop that!" he laughed. "You're sending chills down my spine." He suddenly went silent for a moment. "… I think it's been a while since I've laughed this much." I gave him a thumbs-up.

"You need to laugh more," I replied, and he chuckled.

"All right, I have to finish processing some data from work. Don't hit the sack too late, you hear?" I nodded. "'Night."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This update was a bit late, wasn't it? Sorry! XP I got sick, and I had tons of homework to do. It wasn't fun.**

**Well, thanks for reading! ^_^**


	43. The Beginning of a Family Problem

**Friday, 5/27 (After School)**

I went to the day care center today.

"Miss, let's arm-wrestle!" Yuuta exclaimed, tugging on my apron. "I'm the champion! No going easy on me!"

"Haha, all right," I laughed as he led me to the tables.

* * *

><p>Once again, Yuuta was the only one left. Suddenly, I saw Eri walk up to us.<p>

"Oh, it's you…" she muttered. "Misaki-chan, was it?" I nodded. "Yuu-kun, are you getting along with Miss Misaki?"

"… No!" Yuuta yelled, stomping his foot. "You don't have to come pick me up!" Suddenly, he ran away.

"Yuu-kun…" Eri murmured, watching him run off. "Do you like children?" I could only assume she was talking to me.

"They're pretty annoying," I replied. Of course, I knew I was pretty annoying as a kid, too. I didn't _hate _them. I mean—everyone was a kid once. Everyone could relate to them... right? Perhaps that was a naive way of thinking about it.

"Do you really think that?" she asked. "You looked like you were having a lot of fun…. So you basically just view this as you job, then? That's great." She looked impressed for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "It's so tiring. I don't hate him, but…."

"You have problems with him?" I finished.

"… It's more complicated than that. Haha, you're still a child, I see." She broke into a tiny, sad smile. "I didn't like coming here because I'd run into the other mothers, but…. Haha…."

"Ah…. Are you Yuuta-kun's mother? Is it okay for you to leave Yuuta-kun by himself for this long?" another mother asked Eri. "I'm not sure it's such a good idea. Even if you are worried about the young new caretaker being able to watch over your child."_Hey! Just 'cause kids are annoying, doesn't mean I can't keep an eye on them!_

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry to trouble you. Then… if you'll excuse me," Eri muttered before walking towards Yuuta.

**(Evening)**

I harvested the Tomatoes with Nanako and planted a Daikon seedling.

Then, I went into my room and picked up English Made Easy. I breezed through the last few chapters.

_This book was a waste of money…._

**Saturday, 5/28 (Early Morning)**

"… mail-order show that's on T.V. every Sunday?" I heard a girl say. "I never miss it!"

"The one on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday?" her friend asked. "You really love those kinds of shows, don't you, Michi?"

_Hmm… maybe I can get some useful things there._

**(After School)**

I trained with Chie for a while. We did some hand-to-hand combat (though I don't know how that'll help us against Shadows).

"Whew. Let's call it a day," she said after an hour or so.

"Huh? It's Chie. Whatcha doing?" someone asked. Chie whipped around and was face-to-face with a guy. Why did I have a bad feeling about him?

"T-Takeshi!?" Chie exclaimed, jumping back a bit. "W-Well… training! I'm working out!" I nodded in agreement, since I couldn't speak. I was still catching my breath.

... I'm too unatheletic for this.

"Huh? When're you gonna graduate to being king of the hill?" the guy Chie called Takeshi asked.

"K-King of the hill…?"

"In kindergarten it was the Runt Gang, in elementary school you were an Ally of Justice…. Middle school, it was Vanguards of the Lunch Revolution, wasn't it? Haha, so…. What is it now? You a Protector of Earth's Peace?"_ Ugh… this guy…._

"That's not too far off," I replied with a smirk. He gave me an odd look. "Now quit bagging her." I found out that I didn't like this guy—I hated him_._ My first impression of him wasn't great.

"Huh…? Wait, what are you saying?" Chie cried.

"Oh, uhh…. I didn't mean that in a mean way," Takeshi said frantically.

"Uh huh," I replied sarcastically.

"I'm Takeshi Kouno. I was with Chie up until middle school," he introduced himself. "I'm not gonna get in you guys' way."_ Good._

I didn't know that I was glaring at him.

"Hey, what are you…?" Chie muttered.

"Oh, how's Yukiko-san doing…?" Takeshi quickly changed the subject. "Does she have a boyfriend yet…?"

"She's fine, and I don't think so," was the reply.

"I see. Cool, cool," Takeshi said with a nod. "She still good-looking? Maybe I should try for her again…."

"Haha, good luck," I told him._ Not._ "Pretty sure you've heard of the Amagi Challenge, right?"

"Yeah," he scoffed. "Well I might try my luck again. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll see you later. Say hi to Yukiko-san for me." He turned and walked away. I hoped I never got to see him again.

I glanced at Chie and was surprised to see her look kinda sad. Well… time for a joke?

So, I pulled out my best joke (which wasn't all that great). Then I tried to mimic Takeshi.

"Yeah, well, Yukiko Amagi's pretty hot, ya'know? I mean—it's not like I'mma get her, but I'll try anyway. But before that, I have to remind Chie about how stupid her titles in elementary and middle schools were," I tried to say in his voice. I tossed my head and flicked my wrist to the side, trying to mimic how one of those popular girls fling their hair to the side and show it off. Chie suddenly burst out laughing.

"What, was that supposed to sound like him!?" she managed to ask before she doubled over.

"Hey, I tried my best," I told her with a shrug and a playful smile.

"I-I'm sorry. He really is rude, huh?" she muttered after she recovered [that rhymes! XD].

"Yeah." I couldn't deny it.

"Seriously…. He was always staring at Yukiko…."

"Haha, what guy doesn't?"

"H-Hey, don't get me wrong. He's nothing but an old classmate to me! We're just friends, y'know? We used to get that a lot, though."

"That's what happened to me," I muttered. "We were… fairly good friends, I guess. Well… only for a year, though. Then he left and never came back. We never kept in touch, either…." I laughed dryly. "It happens, I guess."

She stared at me for a second before saying, "That sucks."

"I guess. I'm used to it though," I replied with a shrug.

"B-But that's all in the past!" she exclaimed. "Let's head home."

"_That's all in the past", huh? I guess… but sometimes it's hard to forget the bonds you've made… and how they're broken._

**(Evening)**

"Hey, Misaki. What's wrong, bored?" Dojima asked.

"I guess you can say that," I laughed, taking a seat in front of him.

"I heard something at the station the other day…" he muttered, his face serious. I had a bad feeling about this. "About…. Well…. I heard you guys hang out a Junes pretty often." My uncle's probing stare hurts…. "Nothing wrong with that, of course. The question is: Why do you make so many trips to and from the electronics department?"_ Crap. Uhh…. Think of something! Quick!_

"Daaaad," Nanako said accusingly._ Oh my god, Nanako! You're my savior!_

"Oh, er, this isn't what you think," he frantically replied. "I'm not interrogating her…."

"It's not fair. You're always talking with big sis," she whined.

"What…?"

"I mean…. Today, you're home, but…."

"… I always talk with you." He sounded a bit… guilty.

"When is always?" Nanako demanded, stomping her foot. "I… I wanna… talk…." She rubbed her eyes sleepily, and Dojima sighed.

"It's bedtime for you already. Go to sleep. I'll play with you…. Next time," Dojima muttered._ When's "next time"?_

"… You promised," she replied before heading to bed.

"'When is always,' huh?" he muttered.

"Well… why not play with her?" I asked.

"… I'm busy," was the quiet reply. He grimaced. "Truth is, I mostly left raising her up to my wife… her mother. So… I don't really know how to approach her. Plus… I'm not fit to be her family…."

"Psshhhh," I said. "No offense, but that's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. Fit or not, you're family. At least_ try._"

"… Maybe you're right." He smiled wryly. "You think just being related by blood makes you 'family'? That's not the case."

"I know," I replied. "But… if you're not her family, then who is? Well… I guess I am too, but I'm not gonna stay here forever, you know." For some reason, I felt like we switched roles. "... At least_ try._"

He was silent for a long time.

"… Maybe you're right," he muttered before going silent again for what felt like hours. "Oh… sorry. You didn't need to hear that. Get some sleep. 'Night."

"If you need help, or just anyone to talk to, just ask," I said. "Keeping it bottled up isn't gonna help anyone." I stood up and muttered a, "Good night" before going to bed.

_All of these Social Links are giving me a headache..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the late update. I was busy with make-up work... Ugh... XP**

**Anyway, enough whining (talking to myself here)!**

**I've seen a review about my... "writing style"? I dunno... but they said that I should only include the important parts. So, I decided to experiment on this one and see if you guys like it. Tell me what you think!**

**Thanks for reading! *bows***


	44. Listening to A-holes Ramble

**Sunday, 5/29 (Daytime)**

I decided to watch that home-shopping program today.

"Helloooo, everyone!" a man greeted joyously. "Welcome to Tanaka's Amazing Commodities!"

"Granter of your desires," some people sang in the background.

He had some Adios Shoes with some Slimming Food and a Medical Kit with some Medicines. I sighed, and ordered the Adios Shoes. Sounds like something for Chie.

* * *

><p>"Here," Yosuke said, handing me an apron. Why did I agree to this…?<p>

I took it and put it on. We went to the grocery department.

I agreed to help Yosuke restock after he begged me. He almost got on his knees….

He started announcing sales offers as I stacked some boxes onto the shelf.

"Restock this shelf, too!" he told me.

"Ugh, why don't you do some restocking?" I asked, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Because I'm busy advertising!" he answered. I let out a long, heavy sigh and restocked the shelf. At least I'll be getting some money….

* * *

><p>We finally finished and sat down in the food court.<p>

"Phew, I'm dead tired…" Yosuke sighed, leaning against his chair.

"You can say that again," I agreed with a sigh of my own.

"They decided on the sale at the last minute, and dad was bugging me to find helpers," Yosuke explained, looking exasperated. "I told him I didn't have time, but he didn't listen. But hey, I'm glad you were there! Thanks."

"Haha, no problem," I replied with a bright smile.

"You really are a good person," he told me, returning the smile. Two girls walked up to us. It was those two again…. Damn b*tches….

"What's up with the crowd today?" the gaudy student asked rudely. "It's way busy. If I'd known, I woulda skipped out."_ You lazya** b*tch!_ I had to stop myself from getting up and punching her in the face. I gripped the arm of my chair instead, gritting my teeth.

"Please don't. You got a bonus for today, right?" Yosuke asked.

"Yeah, a whole 500 yen," the snooty student snorted.

"Hey, hey, it's better than nothing!" I interrupted, glaring at her.

"Shut up, you," the girl snapped as I glared at her. She looked at Yosuke. "I'm trying to save up! Gimme a raise."

"Hey, why don't you get another part-time job?" I said.

"Why you…!" she began. "You wanna go?"

"Hell yeah I wanna go!" I yelled, standing up. "And I don't care if I go against both of you! I've faced sh*t with more determination than you!"

"Well… I don't think I can get you a raise," Yosuke muttered, effectively stopping a brawl from going out among the three of us. I glared at them, then sat down.

"What's the point then?" the snooty student sighed. The two girls walked out a bit and started gossiping. Loudly.

"At this rate, my graduation trip'll be somewhere in Japan. Maybe I should ask my parents to pay for it," the gaudy student said.

"Why don't you find a guy to pay?" the snooty one asked.

"Haha, like Saki did?"

"Ugh, that b*tch…" I muttered. I tried not to get up and punch them in their faces. It was really hard. Yosuke simply looked down at the table sadly, biting his lip. The two of them continued to gossip.

"It doesn't matter," Yosuke muttered. "It's just hot air. I'm not letting it get to me."

"Yeah. They're just gossiping," I agreed. "I hate them."

"It's sad to be talked about like that, though," he continued. "We're the only ones who can avenge Saki-senpai…. We're special. We're the only ones. So… there's no need to bother with outsiders."

"The 'outsiders' might give us trouble, though," I muttered. "Especially… my uncle. But you're right. You're more mature than when I first met you."

"Haha…. I saw the kid in me inside the T.V. I felt I needed to change." He smiled sheepishly. "I think it's good you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it this far." He nodded.

"Don't worry about it," I said. "It's not just me…. It's you, too. Don't forget that."

"… Yeah," he muttered, then let out a sigh. "What a pain. Oh, uh, not you…."

"I know," I replied.

"I wonder what it is…" he murmured. "I dunno."

"I'm pretty sure one of your problems is those girls," I said, pointing towards them with my thumb. "Try not to get too stressed out, okay? If you need someone to talk to, give me a call."

"… Thanks, Misaki," he said, looking at the sky.

**(Evening)**

I read Easy Origami. I frowned, thinking,_ This stuff looks hard…._

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, 530 (Afternoon)**

Ugh, it's King Moron.

"So, Kanji Tatsumi is still absent on account of 'illness.' Sounds like a load of bullsh*t to me!" he ranted. "I bet he's out there dicking around all day long! What? What's with your faces?"

_He really IS sick, you heartless dumba**!_ I thought, gripping my pencil harder than I needed to.

"You trying to tell me I shouldn't assume things…?" the King continued. "Don't tell me you're friends with that punk!"

_Don't make assumptions when you don't even know him, you dick!_

"All right, listen to these words!" the King yelled. "Aristotle said, 'A true friend is one soul in two bodies!' You better watch who you hand out with! You'll only bring your own worth down! Though, I doubt the trash of society would even have friends like you!"

_This… this 'teacher' is getting on my f*cking nerves! This place is brimming with people I hate!_

I bit my tongue so that I wouldn't accidentally say something that would get me expelled.

**(After School)**

I trained with Chie, then we went to Aiya to grab something to eat.

"Mmmm... The meat and rice just flow through my veins…" she said, wolfing the food down.

"Haha, looks delicious," I chuckled.

"I can't recommend the steak bowl enough!" she exclaimed. "Their sauce is to die for!" A huge smile spread over her face. "I need to work hard and pump myself up, or else I can't pull us out of a jam, right? Especially Yukiko…. I need to be able to protect her. I hope she's not straining herself. Makes you worry, huh?"

"Honestly, I'm more worried about you," I muttered.

"Huh…. M-Me?" she asked. "B-But I'm fine! I mean, I've been training and everything! I'll make myself stronger! For Yukiko, too! So keep it up, Leader!"

"That's exactly why I'm more worried about you," I replied. "If you work too hard, it's not very good for your health."

"Don't worry! I'll be fine!" She beamed at me. "I know me and Yosuke joke around with you a lot…. But we're all counting on you…. Heheheh…."

"Well, I'm counting on you guys, too. I mean—you can't exactly have a one-man party," I said. "Anyway, let's eat!"

"'Scuse me! Another fired rice with meat, please!" Chie ordered. "How about you, Misaki?"

"Ahahah, I'm fine, Chie," I said.

**(Evening)**

I visited the shrine again (don't ask me why) and saw that creepy lady in the white kimono again. She wanted an Amber Seema, so I gave her one. She thanked me and gave me a Yazu Stone.

Welp, I got nothing else to do, so I went home and continued reading Easy Origami.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: October 24, 2014**

**Sorry for the late upload. I was really stressed out this week... and I was depressed. I still am. I have some family problems, and I have a ton of make-up work from school (I got h. pylori for the past month or so).**

***sigh***

**Well... the only one who'd kept me from blowing up was a close friend. He'd moved away, but we still keep in touch. I can't talk to my own family about my problems... It's a bit sad, actually. But enough self-pitying!**

**I'm guessing at least one of you guys have some problems too. So I've decided that... I'd try to help you guys instead. It's odd, I know. But... if you have problems... just y'know... tell me or something. You don't have to go into exact details like who did what. You can just... vent it all out, y'know? Scream through text like I did to my friend. XP It helps; I tried.**

**I mean, it's not like you have to. XP But if you don't have anyone else to rely on... then you can PM me or something. I'll try my best to be your therapist. XP**

**Of course, if it doesn't affect you, just think of this as me rambling. I wanted to get some stuff off my chest lately. *sighhhhh***

**Oh well. Everyone has problems.**

**Thanks for reading. *bows***


	45. Game of Basketball (Plus Update?)

**Tuesday, 5/31 (After School)**

I attended basketball practice.

We worked on dribbling today. I lost the ball a few times and felt a bit discouraged.

I glanced at Kou and saw he was playing half-heartedly today. Huh.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Daisuke came up to us and greeted, "'Sup guys. Wanna grab some grub on the way home?"<p>

"Hm… huh? Is practice over already?" Kou asked.

"Mine? Yeah, they're just cleaning up," his friend answered.

"No, mine," the black-haired teen muttered and glanced around. "It's over, isn't it? I gotta go home." Daisuke walked up to me.

"Hey, Misaki, what's his problem?" he whispered. "Is he sick or something?"

"… It's something else," I replied.

"Something else…?" he repeated. "What's wrong?"

"You know, I'm pretty short for a basketball player," Kou suddenly said. "But it has its advantages. I always get a kick out of driving past all the tall guys. It makes me feel good. Like it's something I can do and no one else. Not my grandma, not my sister, it's all me." I narrowed my eyes. Something's definitely wrong. "But what's the point? Who cares how hard I train? It's not like we ever play any real games. It's totally worthless. It has no meaning whatsoever."

"Kou… you serious, man?" Daisuke said.

"I'm out," the other teen said, walking away. I sighed.

"You wanna know what happened, right?" I asked, and he nodded. So I told him what Kou told me on the roof.

"You gotta be kidding! He should be celebrating that they let him play, not sulking!" Daisuke exclaimed before going silent and scratching his head. "I don't get it!"

"I think he's sulking…" I muttered, "because he got replaced. They don't need him anymore. That's why they're going easy on him. I'm pretty sure it hurt his pride a lot." He just stared at me, then shook his head.

"But he said it was 'pointless,' right?" Daisuke asked. "Then why don't we give him a real match? Sitting around here thinking about it won't do crap. We gotta take action. Right?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

"That's what I'm talking about!" he yelled, pumping his fist into the air. "If it's a game he wants, it's a game he'll get! Anyway…. Where do we start with setting up a real game?"

"Get more players," I immediately replied. He nodded.

"Hey, you!" he called to someone. Daisuke told the player to set up a real game. "I got some dirt on some of the other guys too, so we should have no problem getting together a full team," he finished.

"What about yourself?" I asked. "Don't tell me you're playing…."

"If we come short, then I'll play," he said. "I don't really know the rules… but whatever, right?" He laughed.

"Psh. Grab a ball," I ordered. "I'mma teach you how to play."

"Wh-What!?" he cried.

"We can't have a person who doesn't know the rules playing, can we?" I replied.

"But I gotta recruit—" he began.

"You can do that later. We have time," I interrupted. "Now get a ball." With a defeated sigh, he did as I told.

**(Evening)**

I finished reading Easy Origami.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, 61 (After School)**

Who knew Daisuke got all of his players already?

"Is the other team here yet?" he wondered. "More importantly, is Kou here yet?" Said person walked up to us.

"Daisuke?" Kou asked. "This is the gym, not the field, you know."

"I'm on the basketball team today," his friend replied. Kou looked confused as hell as another team showed up. They all wore light blue jerseys. "Nice, they're here. The game's about to start, Kou."

"Huh!?" he cried. "Wait, we don't have enough players!"

"I see five of us right here," Daisuke replied with a smug look.

"But… that's counting… you!?" Kou cried. I walked up to him and put an arm around his neck.

"Don't worry. I taught him how to play a bit," I assured him with a wink.

"Look," Daisuke said, "I know you think no matter how hard you train, you're not accomplishing anything."

"You can't do it yourself," I continued. "And that's why there's something called a team." Kou chuckled.

"All right. Let's do this!" he yelled.

And so, we played. Kou was unbelievable. He wove in and out of the defense and scored many shots.

The guys mostly ignored me, leaving me open quite a bit. Kou kept passing to me, since I was open all the time. I couldn't shoot, so I kept passing it back to him.

I didn't do too much, but I've got to say that I was pretty good at defense. I could tell I built a lot of pressure on the guy I was defending.

"Ugh, move!" the guy cried.

"Don't underestimate girls," I simply replied. He passed, and I stole the ball. I dribbled towards their hoop and passed to Kou. He scored another shot.

* * *

><p>There were a few seconds left on the clock, and both teams were tied. My eyes widened as I watched Daisuke get faked by the opponent. They scored the last two points and won. Their team cheered as our team groaned and cried, "No!"<p>

I walked up to the other team and yelled, "Good game, guys!

* * *

><p>The three of us went up to the roof.<p>

"I can't believe we lost…" Kou groaned. "Misaki and I were on fire out there, too…. I'm not surprised, though. I won't name names, but we had one guy out there who didn't even know what traveling was."

"Did you forget your training?" I asked with a playful smile.

"Shut up, dammit!" Daisuke snapped. "Look, the whole reason we set up this match was for—"

"I know. It was for me, right?" Kou interrupted. "I feel… better. I don't know how to say it, but…. I don't feel so alone anymore. Does that make sense? Lately I've been feeling bad for my parents. They took me in and raised me, hoping that I'd carry on the Ichijo name. But then Sachiko was born… and even if she can't carry on the name, she'll be the successor of the family. But what does that make me? I'm not related by blood, so do I even have a purpose?"

_You think just being related by blood makes you "family"? That's not the case,_ I heard Dojima's voice echo in my mind.

"… Should I just leave?" Kou muttered.

"Did they say anything?" I asked.

"No. They've all been really good to me," he replied with a heavy sigh. "It's not them… it's me."

"Honestly," I huffed. "You think just being related by blood makes you family?"

"In this family?" Kou smirked. "That's a load of bull."

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked.

"If we can be family without being related, why are they getting a tutor for a two-year-old!?" Kou cried, standing up. "Why is it okay for me to play basketball!? I can quit my lessons, I don't have to go to the social gatherings anymore…. Why would they tell me that stuff!? It means they don't need me anymore, doesn't it!? That I've been replaced, right!?" Daisuke glanced at me, looking surprised.

_Wow, I was right,_ I thought.

"Sorry…. I know yelling at you guys won't solve anything…" Kou muttered.

"It helped, right?" I asked with a faint smile as he sighed.

"I'm gonna drop by the institute," he muttered.

"You mean…?" Daisuke murmured.

"Yeah, the orphanage," Kou confirmed with a nod.

"Why?" I inquired.

"I was thinking maybe I'd ask about my real parents," he replied quietly.

"I'll go with you," I said, standing up beside him.

"Huh? N-No, that's okay. I don't want to drag you into this," he muttered.

"If that's what you need to do, then do it," Daisuke said. "I know you'll be back."

"Th-Thanks, man," Kou muttered. "About the game…. When I heard you set it up just for me, it made me really happy. Thanks again, guys. Too bad we lost."

"Dude! Shut up!" Daisuke snapped. "Sometimes you gotta lose a battle to win the war, or however that goes."

"There's always next time," I said.

**(Evening)**

The Adios Shoes came home. I put it in my room, then came out and announced, "I'm going to harvest the vegetables. Anyone wanna come?"

"Sure," Dojima said, getting up with a grunt.

"Of course!" Nanako exclaimed as I opened the front door.

The three of us harvested the crops and planted Daikon seedlings.

* * *

><p>I wanted some more fresh air. "I'm going out for a walk, okay, Uncle?" I asked.<p>

"Go ahead," he sighed. "Be careful."

"I will," I replied.

* * *

><p>"Yoooo, Misaki-chan," Chie called. I walked up to her and gave her a wave. "Funny running into you at this hour."<p>

"Haha, yeah," I agreed with a nod.

"I finished my training, so I just had a shot!" she said. "And by 'shot,' I mean 'steak bowl.' Hey, if you have time to kill, wanna talk?"

"Sure," I said with a shrug. She glanced around.

"I hate how much rain we get this time of year. It'll start coming down right in the middle of my training." She sighed.

"Just man up and train in the rain." I smirked.

"Shut up! Just the other day, the sky suddenly lit up, and there was this ungodly rumbling. Aaaah, I don't want to think about it!"_ Oh yeah… she's afraid of lightning._

"It's all right, Chie," I assured her. "People rarely get hit by lightning." She didn't look like she believed me. I sighed and said, "Call me up if you get scared."

"Huh…? You're saying that as our leader, right?" I gave her a deadpanned look.

"Why else would you think I told you to do that?"

"Haha, thanks! I knew I could count on you!" She grinned from ear to ear. "Yukiko's not scared of lightning at all. Just the other day, there were flashes in the sky, but Yukiko started laughing…."

"Maybe she was laughing at your reaction to the lightning," I mused.

"Shut up!" she yelled, her face turning red. I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped my lips.

"I-I'm sorry." I forced myself to stop laughing.

We talked for a bit. When it was time to leave, Chie handed me a drink, then walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, 62 (After School)**

I glanced outside. It was raining buckets. For some reason, I felt uneasy. I didn't know why… I just did.

I attended band rehearsal. Ayane wasn't play today for some reason.

The short girl came back and announced, "We've got our next venue lines up."

"Ooh, where?" the captain asked.

"Two places—Yuryoku-en and Shiozawa Hospital. They want us to come play for them," she replied. "They said they'll give us an exact date as soon as they can."

"Did they request any specific songs?" the captain asked.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't ask," Ayane muttered.

"Well, make sure you ask them next time you talk to them. We need to know," the taller boy said.

"I'll go right now!" Ayane said.

"No no, just remember next time. And don't forget to tell the activities director," he said, shaking his head.

"All right," she replied.

"Oh, sorry Misaki, but we decided who was gonna go to the next performance before you joined. You can play with us next time," the captain told me.

"It's all right," I said with a small nod.

"All right, you guys can take off," he said, leaving the room. Everyone else followed him.

"Oh, I haven't cleaned up yet," Ayane muttered. "I think I'll stick around and practice. I was out so long, I didn't even touch my trombone."

"It's fine," I told her. "Forget about it today."

"But I'm so bad, I need twice as much practice as everyone else! Now that we've got a performance, I need to be tip-top…. Not that I'll be in it, but still….."

"Wh-What? They won't let you go!?" _How could they!_

"I guess you're right…. It's not that I wouldn't…. But, I think I'll make myself useful. If I played along for a performance, I'd only give us a bad reputation." I frowned. "But there are lots of other things I can do for the club. Scheduling, accounting, cleaning up…."

"Heh, that's a great attitude, Ayane-chan. It must be pretty hard to do all of that by yourself."

"Thanks! But it's not that hard." She beamed at me. "Anyway, I better start practicing! Be careful on your way home, Senpai!"

"I will. See ya!" I said.

**(Evening)**

Nanako was pacing back and forth restlessly.

"Dad's late again today," she muttered. Suddenly, the phone rang, and Nanako picked it up. "Dad's coming home now," she said after she hung up. "I need to get dinner ready." She smiled brightly at me. I gave her a warm smile in return.

She opened the fridge and glanced inside. "We're out of pickled radish…" she sighed. "Dad'll be disappointed."

"I'll go buy some," I offered, standing up.

"But… he only likes the ones from Junes," she replied. "Oh, then, I'll go too!" She jumped up and down and giggled. "We're going shopping together!"

"Haha, yeah! Let's go, Nanako-chan," I said, escorting her out.

* * *

><p>We came back and saw Dojima lounging on the couch, not looking very happy.<p>

"Where did you go at this time of night?" he questioned in a low, dangerous voice. I immediately tensed.

"… Junes," Nanako replied quietly.

"Didn't I tell you not to go outside this late?" my uncle said, his voice rising a bit.

"B-But, you were coming home… so I…" she muttered.

"No matter what your reason was, rules are rules. You promised me, remember?" he said loudly. Nanako looked at her feet, looking sad.

"It's not her fault!" I yelled, stepping in front of her.

"Big sis…" she murmured. "It's not my fault? Then why is Dad angry? Why won't he listen? Dad's stupid!" She stomped her foot. "Stupid, stupid!"

"Nanako-chan!" I cried as she ran into her room.

"Nanako! How dare you call your father stupid!" he shouted after her, getting onto his feet.

"Dojima-san! I can explain!" I yelled, gripping his shoulders. "We saw that there weren't pickled radishes at home, so we decided to get some for you!"

"Pickled radish… for me…?" he muttered. "Is that so?" He sighed, and his face hardened. He took my hands off of him. "But I still can't allow kids to be walking around this late at night. You know how dangerous it's been lately. You shouldn't be wandering around out there at night either!" He yelled at me, too. I gritted my teeth and went into my room.

_Poor Nanako..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: October 26, 2014**

**Wow! Another update this soon!?**

**Yeah. I was getting into it, so I decided to write some more. ^_^**

**I was thinking of drawing a cover pic for this fan fic (haha, that rhymes! I assure you, I'm NOT a poet). I'm going to draw Misaki for the cover pic.**

**Do you guys want her:**

**1) to just smile or something, acting like her usual self (smiling or laughing. You pick)?**

**2) to have her glasses on and look determined/like she's fighting/have her game face on?**

**3) to have the glasses and act like her usual self?**

**4) to have one half of her face has the glasses and she's got her game face on, and the other is just her usual self outside of the T.V?**

**Let me know!**

**Oh, and I want to give special thanks to Ark2012. Remember the last author's note? Yeah, he PMed me and made my day better. :D Thanks, Ark!**

**Rwanime442 PMed me too and told me his/her problem(s) on a certain day.**

**So yeah... that's all I wanted to say. Both of you made my day! :D**

**I know I PMed this to the both of you already, but might as well put it here so others can see it, right? XP**

_**Thou art I... and I am thou...**_

_**Thou hast established a new bond...**_

_**It brings thee closer to the truth...**_

_**Thou shalt be blessed when creating**_

_**Personas of the _ Arcana...**_

**This is now public and is for Ark2012 and Rwannime442.**

**Thanks for reading. *bows***


	46. Update 4

**November 2, 2014**

**1:06 A.M.**

Hey guys. I'm tired as hell. Just got back from my fourth trip to the hospital.

I officially have an ulcer! Yay... :(

Yeah. It sucks.

I've been pretty stressed out lately (like I said in my previous chapters). I have a ton of make-up work from school... and it's not fun.

I decided to upload this update thing just to let you guys know what I've been up to. XP

You guys can expect another chapter tomorrow... No, later today ('cause it's technically the next day).

So yeah. That's what happened to me.

Well... thanks for reading.

*bows*


	47. Fake Meat?

**Summary Friday, 6/3 and Saturday, 6/4**

Basically, I turned in an ema request and got another one. The person wanted to hate snacks…. How the hell can you hate snacks!? They're the greatest thing on earth! … Kinda.

I agreed to feed a cat and hung out with Dojima.

I fished for a while and watched the Midnight Channel. No one showed up, luckily.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, 65 (Daytime)**

I bought the Jingi Fundoshi combo from the shopping program.

* * *

><p>I accidently bumped into a slim woman in the shopping district.<p>

"Don't bother me!" she snapped impatiently.

"I-I'm sorry!" I cried, backing up.

"I'm channeling my mental energy in order to control my urges…" she continued quietly. "I mustn't want snacks…. They'll just make me faaaat…. Shiroku Store is my enemy."

_She must be the one who wrote the ema request,_ I thought.

"Remember all the dieting and exercise…" she muttered. "Do you want to have to do all that again?"

_Come join the Investigation Team!_ I thought, trying not to laugh. _We'll make sure you run until you can barely stand and fight random enemies! Of course, the only requirement is meeting your Shadow and obtaining a Persona. It's not hard to get one! Of course, you might die in the process, but it'll be worth it! … Kinda…. At least it'll keep you slim!_

"Must shun the snacks…" she said. "Ahh! Snacks…. I want to eat snacks!" She sighed. "I wonder if they're any bad-tasting snacks. Actually, it doesn't have to be bad…. Maybe if it were just odd-tasting, I would stop thinking about them…? I want to distance myself from those snacks…." The first person that came to mind for some weird-tasting food was Chie, so I approached her.

"You have a snack that doesn't taste like a snack?" I asked her.

"A snack that doesn't taste like a snack?" she repeated, looking confused. "I have no idea. My snacks taste like snacks…. You want some?" She handed me some of the infamous Meat Gums. "Speaking of snacks, you ever get hungry inside the T.V.? Maybe I should bring something with me next time…."

"I should too…" I agreed, moving towards the ema requester.

I handed her a Meat Gum.

"Is this the rumored Meat Gum!?" she cried, and I nodded. She gulped, then chewed the gum. "I-It's chewy meat! This is also considered a snack!? The world of snacks is vast indeed….

"Well that certainly was odd," she continued. "When I think of 'snack' I'll definitely recall this taste now." I popped the gum into my mouth and nearly spit it out. It tasted like what it was: meat gum. I was definitely not used to the taste and texture.

_How the hell does Chie eat this!?_ I wondered, spitting the gum into a nearby trash can.

* * *

><p>The kid that was always hungry said he lost his bug-catching net. I agreed to help him find it.<p>

"Hey, youngster!" an old man called as I walked out of the shrine. "Did you catch that thing on T.V.? Kids these days…. Sheesh!" He kept talking about Kanji Tatsumi. To be honest, I was getting bored, but I decided to be polite and listen to him. "Saunas are great. But… it's no good if you can't get coal. The problem is, I can't get my hands on any. Aren't there any kind young people who'll bring coal to an old man?" He let out a long sigh.

_Do Shadows drop coal?_ I wondered._ They probably do._

"I can help, Sir," I told him with a nod.

"Oh! There are a lot of worthless young punks out there, but you, girl…. You're different!" he exclaimed. I didn't know if he was complimenting me or not. I simply nodded awkwardly and sneaked away.

* * *

><p>"You have to hear me out!" a woman cried, grabbing my arm. "Cabbage! There's no cabbage!"<p>

"Wh-What?" I stammered.

"What am I going to do…? My grandfather will refuse to eat anything that wasn't grown in Inaba!" she said frantically._ What a picky man._

"I can help you out." I nodded.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" She beamed at me. "I need three cabbages."_ Wait… can't she grow them on her own?_ I sighed and walked out.

"It's been very humid. It's absolutely horrid when you're older," an old woman groaned. I didn't know how I got into this conversation. "I know I don't have too many years left, but I don't want everybody's pity!

"By the way, I have a small favor to ask you, if that's all right," she said, and I motioned for her to continue. "Do you come across very many keys?"_ What?_ "To be honest… I'd like you to search for one. An old key at that. But please, don't ask why I need it. There's something I need to open."

"All right. I'll look for it," I answered.

* * *

><p>I heard a cat meow and glanced down. There was an orange cat at my feet.<em> Wait…. Is this the cat that guy wanted me to feed?<em>

I grabbed some fish from my bag (don't ask me why I have it in there) and gave it some. It quickly ate it up.

Satisfied, I went to report to the guy.

* * *

><p>"I'm so glad," he said when I reported back to him. "I'm glad you did it. Here." He handed me "The Punk's Way." Why did that remind me of Kanji Tatsumi?<p>

The man smiled innocently.

"Yooo, Misaki-chan!" a familiar voice called. I turned around and saw Chie. "It feels kinda weird, meeting on our day off."

"It does," I agreed with a nod.

"You wanna train?" she asked. I nodded.

* * *

><p>We finished training and went to Souzai Daigaku.<p>

"Have you had the steak skewers?" Chie asked. "The meat is tender and delicious, and they hardly cost a thing!"

"Heh. They're not tender to me," I scoffed.

"What are you talking about?" she retorted. "They're really tender!"

"Okay, everyone has different tastes," I finally said. "So just accept that I don't think it's tender, and I'll accept that you think it_ is_ tender."

"Fine!" she laughed. "Actually… it might not even be cow meat?" I raised an eyebrow. "Just kidding…. Whoa, thinking about it, that's kinda gross." I nodded. "Th-The police are here!" she suddenly hissed. I turned around and saw the officer walk up to us. I felt nervous. "Th-Then is this place really serving fake meat…?"

"Excuse me," the officer said.

"Y-Yes? I haven't eaten any of the meat today, I swear!" Chie cried.

"Shut up!" I whispered. "He didn't say anything yet! Stop jumping to conclusions!" He looked at her, confused.

"Lately, there's been several incidents with a group of teenagers bullying people around here," he explained. "Extortion, if you will. Have you seen anyone suspicious?"

"Not really," I replied.

"I see…. Well, you two be careful then," he muttered, walking away.

"I'm glad it wasn't the meat," she sighed in relief.

"Actually… in America…" I mused, "there's a restaurant that sells fake meat. Everyone knows it sells fake meat, but they're still up and running."

"Wha—Really!?" Chie exclaimed. I nodded. "But still, bullying!? What cowards, ganging up on the weak like that!"

"Exactly."

"It's so cruel! And stupid!" She was outraged, apparently. "We'll grab 'em and make them apologize! Right, Leader?" It felt weird being called "Leader."

"I'm not one to charge into the battlefield like that," I began, "but… if I were with someone else, I would." I smiled at her. "So if I were with someone who could fight well, of course we'll catch 'em." She beamed at me.

"I didn't think you'd say _that,_" she said. I simply smiled. Suddenly, she let out a longing sigh. "Mowin down villains and saving the weak, a lone female fighter stands! To protect the town's peace, she throws herself into the battlefield, unbeknownst to all! Ooh, yeah! That sounds cool!"

"Haha! If it were me, I wouldn't charge into the battlefield so carelessly," I laughed.

"Misaki-chan, leave it to me!" she yelled. "Though… I'd feel better about it if you helped."

"That's what friends are for, right?" I gave her yet another smile. "We're teammates. What else do you think we're supposed to do?"

"You're right." She looked a bit embarrassed. Chie quickly shook her head. "Let's eat!

"'Don't think. Feel…' right?" she asked. "Actually, in this case, would it be, 'Don't think. Eat…'?"

"Oh god, Chie!" I laughed. "If you keep thinking like that, you'll turn into a meat-eating beast soon!"

"Shut up!" she snapped with a playful smile.

**(Evening)**

I remembered that the bug-catching boy lost his net. I figured the first place I should look is in the shrine.

I didn't expect to meet the weird, white woman here.

"I came to offer my fuda to celebrate the fact that I was with child," she muttered. "However, my other children are still small, and I am uncertain of the future. You, a stranger, have given me fish several times now. If you feel any sympathy for us, please… continued sharing your fish with us." I simply blinked. "Oh, by the way…. There was a strange net on the rooftop. Do you know about it?"_ It's gotta be the bug-catching net!_

"Yeah," I answered.

"Please take this." She handed to me. I nodded my thanks and went home.

* * *

><p>I picked up "The Gentle Way."<p>

It was about Judo. I almost laughed out loud.

_I know who I can teach this to…_ I mused with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: November 2, 2014**

**Yay a chapter! :D I'm going to upload another one very soon, so expect one! I'm going to put an update on the next chapter.**


	48. Kanji Tatsumi Joins the Team!

**Monday, 6/6 (After School)**

We were on the roof with Kanji Tatsumi.

"H-Hi there!" he greeted nervously.

"Ha, where'd the manners come from?" Chie asked teasingly.

"Well, um… I didn't know you guys were my senpai," he muttered. I smiled warmly as the others laughed. "Uh…. Thanks a bunch."

"Don't worry about it," I said.

"I don't really remember what happened…" he muttered.

"There are some things we'd like you to tell us about," Yukiko said.

"First off, who was that boy you met with?" Chie inquired. At first, Kanji looked confused, then shocked.

"I don't know much about him," he replied uneasily. "I mean, I've only met him twice."

"Yeah, but you walked home from school with him," Chie countered. "What'd you guys talk about?"

"Uh, well…. He just asked stuff like… if anything different happened lately," was the answer. "I dunno where my head was at…." He blushed. "When I came to my senses, I blurted out that I wanted to see him again."

"To… a guy," Chie finished.

"I uh… I don't really get it myself," Kanji muttered. "Well… I think girls are so loud and obnoxious, so, y'know…. I really don't like dealing with 'em." I raised my hand.

"Same here," I said. "Of course, some of them aren't loud and obnoxious." I glanced at Chie and Yukiko.

"Well, guys are a lot more laid-back," he said.

"Not all guys," I muttered.

"So, uh, I started thinking…. What if I'm the type who never gets interested in girls?" Kanji muttered, blushing. "And I couldn't accept that, so I kept spinning around and around in my head..

"Okay, shut the hell up with all of this stuff!" I interrupted. "I don't care if you're gay or bisexual. You're still freaking human." I sighed. "Honestly…." Everyone just stared at me. "Anyway, keep going." I motioned for him to continue.

"Well, I can understand the part about feeling more relaxed round dudes," Yosuke said. I smirked and walked up to Kanji. I slung my arm over his neck, and he blushed again. It was kinda hard to do that, since he's such a tall guy. He had to bend down a bit.

"You can act as if I'm a guy," I told him with a smile and a thumbs up. "Anyway, how're you feeling?"

"I'm fine now," he said, his face still red. "Um… can you get your hand off of me?"

"Get used to it," I deadpanned. I had a feeling he was going to join the Team.

He shook his head and said, "I mean, it was all in my head, when you get down to it. I was the one shutting out that stuff. So uh… our family's run a textile for generations…. Oh yeah, you already knew that." Kanji moved away from me and started walking around. "My parents are kinda weird…. They say stuff like, 'Dyes are one with the universe,' and 'Cloth is alive…'" He made hand movements for each quote. "That's the kinda house I grew up in. So I've been interested in sewing since I was a kid. But the second I say stuff like that, people look at me funny." He sighed. "Girls make fun of me, the people in the neighborhood treat me like I'm some zoo animal, so I was sick of everything. And when I got to my sense, I was running wild." Suddenly, he looked embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head. "Sh*t, what's with me today? I'm going on and on about myself…. Forget all that. Man, I must look really lame right now."

"No you don't," I deadpanned. "You're actually pretty cool."

"Nah, I doubt it," he denied.

"Shut up," I said. "If you can say all that to a group of strangers, then I consider you pretty cool." I smiled.

"I've never talked about any of this stuff before," Kanji muttered. "Guess I never had anyone to tell it to. I guess I wasn't really afraid of girls. I was just scared of people in general."

"Don't let others bring you down like that. They're all a**holes for not accepting the way you are," I told him.

"Well, all that's behind me now," he assured.

"Wow, I'm surprised…. You're a good kid," Chie praised.

"D-Don't call me a good kid," he snapped, his face red. Yosuke laughed.

"No need to get embarrassed. You're a big guy, you can take it," he said. "Hey is there anything you remember after you ran into us the second time? You know, after you chased us away and said you were gonna take us down."

"That was you guys, not me," I said.

"Shut up!" Yosuke snapped.

"I went home," Kanji answered. "I was gonna sleep it off in my room…. Wait, I think someone came…."

"Who was it!?" the older teen demanded.

"Uh, well, it was just a feeling I had…. I dunno if anyone actually came," Kanji muttered. Yosuke looked frustrated, and Chie looked pissed. "Other than that… I remember some weird, dark, entrance thing. When I woke up, I was laid out on the floor of that sauna place."

"A dark entrance…" Yukiko repeated quietly. "Could it have been a T.V.?"

"Maybe…" he muttered. "Uh, why do you ask?"

"You'll find out soon enough, Kanji-kun," I assured him. "Just try not to freak out too much when you do, okay?" He glanced at me, looking confused.

"Did the police ask you anything?" Yosuke asked.

"Well, my mom had called the cops to look for me, so they questioned me for a while," Kanji replied. "I told them exactly what I just told you, and they looked at me like I was crazy." We glanced at each other. "So, like… are you guys playing detective or something?"

"Well, something like that," Chie said with a nod.

"Anything I can do to help?" the white-haired boy asked. I smiled knowingly; my gut feeling was right. "If there's some bastard out there who put me through this, I ain't gonna rest until I make 'em pay."

"Seriously? Awesome!" Yosuke exclaimed. "You'd make a great addition to our team! Whaddaya say, Leader?" There it was again: calling me "Leader."

"Of course he can," I replied. "But… it won't be easy, Kanji-kun."

"Don't worry. I ain't taking this lightly," he said with determination. "You guys saved my life…. I've made up my mind to risk my life for you. I'll do my best!"

"Nice." I smiled.

"If we're gonna welcome aboard a new member…" Yosuke began.

"Should we take him to our special headquarters?" Yukiko finished excitedly.

"Let's go," I said.

"We're still calling it that?" Chie asked.

"Of course we are!" I laughed. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Man, you eat a lot," Yosuke sighed, watching Kanji shove down most of the steak into his mouth. "Were you listening to what we're saying?"<p>

"Huh? Shurr, I waf lfnin'," the said boy answered, his mouth full.

"Close your mouth!" Yosuke scolded.

"So… uh…. So someone's killing them with a T.V.? What, is he beating him to death?" Kanji asked after he swallowed, and I burst out laughing.

"No, no!" I finally said after I stopped. I got more serious.

"Were you listening at all!?" Yosuke snapped, a tick mark appearing on his forehead. I grabbed his shoulder.

"Calm down, Yosuke," I muttered.

"Don't worry. He'll understand once he sees the place with his own eyes," Chie said with a knowing smirk.

We started deducting. We reviewed what we knew and considered other possibilities. Kanji got some kind of list he took from someone. He handed it to me.

I read each list out loud… and hit a jackpot. One of the lists listed a list [pun intended] of T.V. programs. We found out that all the victims appeared on the T.V. before they were thrown into the T.V.

Yosuke asked why he couldn't be smarter. Kanji responded, "Dude, why beat yourself up? I think you guys are awesome. I mean, you guys noticed what was happening to me and even risked your lives to stop it. That's more than enough."

"You rescued me, too," Yukiko said. "We may not have solved the mystery, but we've saved two people already."

"That's true, but…" Yosuke began.

"What's more, everyone's deduction that Kanji-kun might be next was right on the nose," Yukiko interrupted.

"We were so close," Chie said.

"You knew before it happened?" Kanji asked. "I wish you guys'd come a little earlier, then."

"We can outsmart the killer next time." Chie smirked. "Then it's a countdown to their arrest!"

"It's always possible Kanji-kun was the last target," Yukiko said.

"I doubt it," I sighed.

"Let's keep checking the Midnight Channel whenever it rains," Yosuke told everyone.

We talked about various things like the school campout.

"Heheh…. Let's go _there_ now, guys," I said with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Kanji didn't land on his feet; he landed on his face. I expected as much, since it was his first time entering from the T.V. on his own.<p>

"I kinda remember this thing, now that you mention it…" Kanji muttered, staring at Teddie. "Didn't think it was a bear, though. Hey… why_ is_ it a bear?"

"Dunno," Yosuke replied.

"Me neither. I've been wondering too," Teddie sighed.

"I-It's kinda cute…" Kanji murmured.

"Right?" I agreed.

"Mind if I pet you?" Kanji asked.

"No touching allowed, Mister," Teddie said, waving his paw in front of Kanji's face.

"Hey, don't give me any lip, bear!" Kanji yelled. "I was wondering... You were kidnapped too, right, Yukiko-senpai?"

"Yeah, it wasn't long before you," she answered.

"So like, you came out to everyone, too?" he asked. "What was it like for Senpai—" He was interrupted by a slap from Yukiko.

"Okaaayyyy," I exclaimed. "New rule: Everything the Shadow says to everyone is CONFIDENTIAL. No questions asked. And Yukiko you're mean."

"Oh, sorry…. I didn't mean to hit you so hard," she apologized.

"My jaw!" he yelled.

"I'll be more gentle next time," Yukiko assured him.

"Oh god," I moaned.

"Here's a present from me, Kanji!" Teddie exclaimed. "It's to celebrate you joining the team!" He gave him a pair of glasses.

"Put them on, Kanji-kun," I urged. He put them on. They were a pair of gag glasses. "Oh my god! You look great!" I doubled over, laughing.

"Damn, dude. It looks great on you!" Yosuke teased.

"Yuki-chan insisted on this one," Teddie explained as the said girl laughed her head off.

"Yeah, real funny, you smarta**!" Kanji yelled, hitting Teddie.

"Hey, hey, don't worry, Kanji-kun!" I cried, putting my pair on. "See I have 'em too!" I slung my arm over his neck and gave him a thumbs up. Everyone started laughing.

Kanji spun around and threw the gag glasses into the fog angrily.

"Kanji-kun!" I cried. "Why'd you do that!? We could've been Gag Glasses Buddies!" I started laughing again.

"This is the real one," Teddie said, handing it to him. They were made of what looked like metal. They were circular and had a dark tint. To be honest, they looked more like sunglasses. Teddie must've made them to bring out Kanji's badassery.

He put them on. "Dammit! I'll get you guys for this someday!"

"Hey, hey!" I exclaimed. "Can't you see I have a pair of my own? Take it out on_ them,_ not me!" I pointed to the rest of the group.

"Traitor!" Yosuke and Chie shouted accusingly as Yukiko continued laughing in the background. I simply smiled innocently, pointing to the gag glasses on my face.

* * *

><p>We went out. I pulled Kanji to the back of the group as we dispersed.<p>

"I'm going to explain all of this sh*t to you, okay?" I said, and he nodded. "So… you got to know your Persona yet?"

"… Yeah," he muttered.

"Nice." I nodded. "Now, I have a very important rule. You never,_ never,_ go into the T.V. alone. If you do, there will be dire consequences. Next, when we go to the dungeons, you stick with the group. If you get lost on your own, you're screwed."

"Dungeons?" he asked.

"Oh. It's a gaming term for… uh… a place you go into and fight enemies… I guess," I replied. "When we're supposed to meet to go in, I'll call you, and you meet at the special headquarters. Oh, and get used to your Persona bugging you sometimes during or outside of battle. It'll even bother you out here sometimes."

"O-Okay…" he muttered.

"Good luck, Kanji-kun," I said solemnly. "Living this life isn't easy, having to juggle school and this case." He nodded.

We parted ways.

**(Evening)**

Dojima, Nanako, and I harvested the veggies and planted the cabbage seedling.

"I was just thinking of making some coffee," my uncle said. "All we've got is instant, though. How do you take it?"

"Surprise me," I answered.

"I'll pour you a good one," he laughed.

"Dad, the news is starting," Nanako announced. "Oh, coffee! Can I have some?"

"Sure thing. Plenty of sugar and cream, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Go watch T.V. with Nanako," Dojima told me. "I'll bring it to you when it's ready."

"You don't have to do that," I said.

"It's okay. Making coffee is my only job around here," he said with a small smile. "When I got married, her mother made me promise one thing. She said this is all I have to do around the house. But nobody else can do it. So…. Well, you know. It's a habit now." He looked a bit embarrassed, then sadder. "This is the only promise I can really keep these days…." I stared at him. "Well… anyway, sit over there."

We watched the news. It was talking about a woman being hit by a car.

"Nanako, turn the T.V. off," Dojima ordered. She did as she was told, and Dojima remained silent for a while before standing up and walking away.

"It was because they showed a story about a traffic accident," Nanako explained quietly. "Mom died in an accident. I don't remember it. And Dad won't talk about it…." She looked lonely.

"It's okay, Nanako," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can pull through." She nodded sadly.

_I need to untangle this mess._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: November 2, 2014**

**Here's the promised chapter! And here's the update:**

****Those of you who read my fourth update knows what's going on.****

**So Ark2012 PMed me again. I'm so touched I'm going to cry. *wipes tears* Greatest online buddy ever. :)**

**Special thanks to Ark2012 and Rwanime442 for PMing me. You guys are the main reason I'm writing this. :D**

**Ark2012 said I shouldn't put too much effort into writing this. Thing is... this one of the few things keeping me sane. I have something else to focus on other than schoolwork and family problems. XP Besides, it's fun. :D**

**Yeah, like I said, I'm really happy that you care for me, Ark. I can't emphasize that enough. Thank you so much, Ark.**

**Thanks for reading. *bows***


	49. Yosuke's Way Too Desperate

**Tuesday, 6/7 (Lunchtime)**

"The instant noodles really hit the spot…" Chie said with her mouth full.

"You know, the rainy season's just about here," Yukiko said.

"Isn't it a little early?" Yosuke asked, slurping his noodles.

"Once it starts, it'll be raining every night. We'll have to keep a constant eye on the Midnight Channel," Yukiko continued. I sighed.

"Crap, I didn't even think of that…" the only guy in the group sighed. "Well, so it goes. I thought you were worried about the rain because of the school campout."

"Why are you so excited about that?" Chie asked, looking at him suspiciously.

"That's right, it's the first time for you two," Yukiko muttered.

"You realize the only purpose of the school campout is to 'develop a love for one's hometown in young people,' right?" Chie said.

"So?" I asked.

"Well you see, the way we develop that love is by picking up trash," Chie summed up.

"Picking up trash!?" Yosuke cried. "'Develop a love' my ass! That's slave labor!"

"Calm down, man," I sighed. "I wonder if the King is gonna watch and laugh at us…."

"Well, the night's kinda fun. We cook our own meals with mess kits and sleep in tents," Chie said with a shrug.

"C-Cook our own meals!?" I repeated, looking at Yukiko.

"Why? What's wrong?" Yosuke asked.

"Aheheh… uh… nothing," I coughed._ I have to bring my own food if I get grouped with Yukiko…._

"The four of us are in the same group," Yukiko said._ Crap! Okay… what should I bring…?_

"The same group, huh…? Does that mean we sleep together at night, too?" Yosuke's eyes shone with excitement.

"You pervert!" I yelled.

"You wish! Guys and girls sleep in different tents!" Chie snapped. "I'm warning ya…. If you leave your tent at night, you'll be expelled on the spot." Suddenly, the excitement in his eyes was quickly replaced by disappointment.

"I thought it was gonna be fun…" he groaned.

"Tell me about it…" I agreed with a nod.

"It's only for one night, and we disband before noon the next day. It doesn't last very long," Yukiko said.

"We did have some fun at the river before going home last year," Chie said.

"Do they let you go swimming?" Yosuke inquired, his eyes shining.

"I think so. There's always someone who takes a dip," she answered.

"So you can swim in the river…." Yosuke's eyes gleamed. Unfortunately, I hung around boys enough to know what he's thinking.

"Ahem, Yosuke," I muttered. "Don't get your hopes up. You might regret it."

"Hey, I can dream, right?" he asked, his eyes shining.

"Ahahah, there's no way you'll see me in that," I said. Chie and Yukiko looked confused.

* * *

><p><strong>(After School)<strong>

"Hey Ishida!" King Moron screeched in my ear. I winced and looked at him. "Did you this week is health week? And you're not part of the Student Health Association! In other words, you're a lazy bum!"

_Shut the hell up, old man,_ I thought angrily._ What do you know what I do?_

"I hate lazy, good-for-nothing kids like you!" he continued to shout. "So I'm signing you up to take the place of a sick member!"

"That's not fair…" Chie muttered.

"Quiet, you!" he yelled. Apparently, that's the only thing he could do: yell. "I don't know what school's like for you big city kids, but here, it's every student's duty to pitch in! Don't tell me you're not enough of a woman to do something this easy."

"… I'll do it," I said, my voice a bit strangled. I was trying not to yell in his face. His face was so close… I could reach it with my fist…. No! Must… not… punch….

"Then go straight to the infirmary, right now," he ordered. "They're already expecting you, since I already told them you'd do it. Thank me!"_ No way, King Moron._ He stalked away.

"Good luck…" Chie muttered uncertainly.

"No, I don't mind it," I replied. "I just hate him is all." I stood up. "See ya later."

* * *

><p>"Oh, Misaki-chan, was it?" a female student asked when I arrived.<p>

"I'm here to help out," I told her.

"Thank goodness. We're running low on people," she said, looking relieved. "Stay and watch the room while we're gone, okay?"

"And deal with anyone that stops by please," another said. I nodded, and they went out. "Oh, and don't touch anything."

A few minutes later, a white-collared man showed up.

"Hello, I'm Kitao from Santo Pharmaceuticals," he greeted.

"Hi," I replied.

"Could you deliver a message?" he asked. "Your school placed an order for gauze, but I need to know if the order can wait until the month after next." _In two months?_ I nodded, and he went out.

* * *

><p>"Anything happen?" the girl asked when she came back and thanked me.<p>

"A guy from the pharmaceutical came," I answered.

"Do you remember his name?"

"It was Kitao from Santo Inc."

"What did he say?"

"Can it come in two months?" I relayed. They told a teacher and started talking amongst themselves.

They talked about this person named Konishi.

"I'm sorry I'm late," a guy said, coming in. The female student started sputtering, saying he shouldn't have come. The guy remained silent for a while. "I don't want to be the only one…." The female student said he could help me clean up the room, and the other students went out frantically.

"I'm Konishi… a first year," the new guy introduced himself uncertainly after a few moments of awkward silence. "You know Saki Konishi? I'm her brother. You're friends with… Hanamura, right?" I nodded. "I hate him…. And you, too."

"That's nice," I muttered without thinking. "And you don't even know me yet." I crossed my arms.

"Can I go home now?" he sighed._ This a**hole._

"No. Help me clean, Konishi-_san,_" I ordered.

"I have to help out at home," he replied. "It's a mess…. You understand, right?"

"After," I said curtly, picking up a rag. "Heads up." I tossed it to him as he turned around, and it hit his back.

"I'll do the shelves," he sighed, picking the rag from the floor.

"You'd better," I said. My first impression of this guy wasn't great.

**(Evening)**

I read the Gentle Way.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, 68 (Morning)**

"Hey, Misaki-chan?" Yukiko whispered after Mr. Kondo lectured us. "What sport is 'heikin-dai'?"

"It's the balance beam," I answered quietly.

"Wow, I'm amazed you knew that, Misaki! But you should ask me if you have questions, Yukiko-chan, not her!" Mr. Kondo said.

**(After School)**

"Hey, guess what I just heard!" Yosuke asked me excitedly after class. I raised an eyebrow. "When they're sitting in back of you, it's like a squeeze play!"

"Um… what?" I said.

"C'mon, you know what I mean." I had a feeling this was supposed to be a guys-only topic.

"No, no I don't, Yosuke."

"What I mean is…." He glanced around. "I'm talking about, when there's a girl sitting behind you on a motorcycle, they press right up against your back!" His eyes were filled with joy.

"Uh… dude. You sure you're supposed to tell this to a_ girl_ like me?"

"Oh… uh… well…." He scratched the back of his neck. "Uh…. I just… uh… want your opinion?"

"Yosuke. Please think before you start talking." I sighed. "Well, I've hung around guys enough to know where you're headed."

"Heheh… anyway." Yosuke cleared his throat. "I think motorcycles are the hot new thing for guys now. Girls like guys who spend times outdoors, right?"

"You're asking the wrong girl," I deadpanned. "But I can give you an opinion on how the other girls think. Well, most girls do like guys with motorcycles."

"Nice! Anyway, I got this book." He slapped down a book on my desk in front of me. It was a manual on getting a motorcycle license.

"Don't tell me I'm part of this…."

"Well, I can't afford anything bigger than a scooter, but at least that'll get us to new places." He grinned. "Don't you think we deserve that much, seeing as how we're investigating the case?"

"…. I'm not gonna ride on the bike with you, Yosuke." He instantly drooped.

"Figures…." He let out a long sigh.

"Of course…." I smirked. "I can get a license with you… with my uncle's permission…."

"'Sup, Senpai," Kanji said, walking up to us. Hey, about the camping trip…." He stared at us. "You guys busy right now?"

"Kinda. We're talking about motorcycles," Yosuke answered nonchalantly.

"Motorcycles? You gonna go stomp a gang?" Kanji asked excitedly. "If you're bringing a war, I'll help!"

"No, no!" I laughed. "No, we're just discussing about getting one."

"You guys don't have yours?" Kanji asked, looking confused.

"Man…. That reminds me. I'm surprised you picked a fight with that biker gang. How'd you chase after them?" Yosuke demanded.

"Eh, a bike's all I need for that," the taller boy replied nonchalantly.

"Dude!" I exclaimed, standing up. "You're the man!" I slapped his back.

"In any case, we can't let you in on our 'up close and personal' plan," Yosuke continued with authority.

"'Up close and personal'!?" Kanji cried. "What's that mean!?"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" I yelled. "I never agreed to that plan! I only said I'd get a motorcycle!"

"Keep it down!" Yosuke hissed.

"Hell no!" I yelled, then lowered my voice dangerously.

"O-O-Okay!" Yosuke stammered. "L-Like I was saying, what I guy needs nowadays is a motorcycle, and then… a girlfriend."

"I'd like to see how this plan will fail," I said with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Yosuke said.

"You gonna get licensed for the big stuff?" Kanji asked. "I know I came here late, but if you're talkin' about takin' a girl on a bike, ya gotta be seatin' two, man. That ain't allowed on a scooter."

"Oh yeah!" I cried happily. "Then I can't sit with a guy anyway! Problem solved!" Yosuke drooped again.

"Shut up! This'll work out!" he said determinedly. "As long as we have a motorcycle, the girls will come running! That's all the advantage we'll need!

"Man, you're desperate," I laughed.

"Shut up, Misaki!" He looked solemn all of a sudden. "The reason we don't have girlfriends is because we're stuck in this town, waiting to meet someone! This place is so tiny, it's no wonder we can't find one! It doesn't matter if it's only a scooter. Some kind of motorcycle is just the ticket for us to get some chicks!"

"_Real_ desperate," I added.

"Shut up!" He huffed, then continued, "Then, later on, we can get a bigger motorcycle… and that's when the 'up and personal' plan really starts!" He looked at me hopefully.

"Nope. Not going to sit with you." I put my arms in front of me in an X. Yosuke drooped once more.

"Up close and personal..." Kanji mused.

"If we're serious about this, we've got go to a bigger town!" Yosuke continued, getting excited. "We gotta take the initiative. We'll roar up on our motorcycle like the badasses we are, and when the chicks come up, we'll play it cool…. The pheromones dripping off of us will bring them around in no time."

"I know I've said this before," I began, "but I'll say it again. You're desperate as hell, Yosuke." He glared at me, and I smiled innocently.

"F-Feral zone?" Kanji asked, looking confused.

"No! I'm talking about PHEROMONES!" Yosuke almost screamed. "My research shows that a motorcycle is the surefire way to increase a man's pheromones!"

"Your source is invalid," I deadpanned, earning yet another glare from him.

"Pheromones…" Kanji muttered, blushing slightly.

"That's how a perv would react," Yosuke muttered.

"Fine! Then I'm in, too!" Kanji yelled. "Get ready to Kanji Tatsumi to show his manhood to these chicks!" I gripped his shoulders.

"Ahaha… calm down, Kanji-kun," I said nervously. He calmed down.

"I told you, you can't!" Yosuke objected. "Don't tell anyone about this, got it? If other guys try to copy us, it'll end up diluting our pheromones." I sighed; I gave up.

"Then mind me tagging along?" I asked. The two of them looked at me, confused. "I wanna see how badly you do trying to pick up some chicks."

"Ugh, shut up, Misaki!" Yosuke yelled as I laughed.

We finished… uh… planning and split up.

* * *

><p>A timid girl wanted me to get her a Crooked Cross. I accepted her request.<p>

The girl in the Practice Building wanted me to get a Reflecting Board.

I called the fox and told it that I fulfilled the wish on the ema.

**(Evening)**

"A-Adachi-san!" I exclaimed as I walked through the door. "H-Hi!" Dojima and Adachi were sitting around the coffee table.

"Ah, you're back," Dojima greeted with a nod.

"Hi there!" Adachi said with a bright smile. "You want some eel too? Fair warning: it's from the supermarket."

"Well, excuse me," Dojima muttered, looking annoyed.

"Is eel from the supermarket bad?" I asked, sitting down at the short table.

"I-It's delicious, though! I can't believe it was on sale!" Adachi cried anxiously. He seemed to care about Dojima's feelings at least.

"Sorry, but this guy eats instant noodles every day," Dojima sighed. "That constant slurring got on my nerves, so I called him here."

"You don't have to bluff like that," Adachi chuckled. "You just wanted to eat dinner with a coworker, right?"

"Don't be stupid," Dojima said bluntly.

"But eel was a great choice! Nanako-chan loved it at least," the black-haired man said. "I'd say she's eel-ly proud of her daddy! Eh? Ehhh…? Haha…."

"That was great, Adachi-san!" I laughed as he beamed at me.

"Did my joke slip away? It is an eel after all…" he muttered when Dojima didn't laugh. I chuckled.

"Just eat your dinner," Dojima groaned.

"Puns are awesome," I said with a bright smile.

"Right?" Adachi agreed with a nod. "Nanako-chan's such a good girl, though. She went straight to do her homework once her plate was clean. It's not every day you get to eat eel. You'd think she'd spend more time savoring it."

"You think that because you slack off too much. You should follow her example," Dojima deadpanned.

"Way to hit where it hurts…" Adachi muttered.

"That's why I don't mention things that don't hurt me," I said, "even if it means praising another. Kinda selfish, I know."

"That's not a bad idea…" he muttered.

_Crap! I gotta ask him about the motorcycle!_ I remembered.

"Uh… Uncle…?" I muttered.

"Hm?" he replied.

"Uh… can I get a motorcycle?" I asked nervously.

"You mean a scooter?" he said. "I don't know, though."

"C'mon, don't be a spoilsport. It's no surprise she wants one, out here…" Adachi piped in. "I understand how you feel, since I'm from the city myself. The trains don't run often, and walking around everywhere is pretty inconvenient, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Right? It's criminal!" he said with a nod.

"You say that, but…" Dojima muttered.

"That reminds me, I remember you telling me something once, Dojima-san," Adachi said, putting a hand on his chin. "About some of the reckless things you did on your motorcycle when you were young…."

"Nice!" I praised, giving him a thumbs up.

"You moron! Think before you talk!" Dojima snapped angrily. "And once you're done eating, hurry and—" His phone rang, effectively interrupting him. He groaned and picked it up. "Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze…" he murmured after he was done talking to the person on the other side. "Adachi, you were in charge of that file, right?"

"File? O-Oh," said man replied. "Did that suspicious guy show up again?"

"Would you keep your mouth shut? We're going back. Get in the car," Dojima ordered.

"Back? You mean, to the station!? But I hadn't had my eel liver soup yet…" Adachi whined.

"You're a detective, Adachi-san," I scolded. "When duty calls, you answer it." Dojima nodded and glared at him, and Adachi quickly went out of the house.

"About this license… did you decide on this yourself? No one talked you into it?" Dojima questioned me. "I know it's hard without a way to get around. But two-wheeled vehicles can be dangerous…. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do," I answered. "I'll be careful with it."

"I'm sure I can trust you to do that," Dojima said. "But allowing you to get one is another thing." He looked troubled. I glanced at the floor with a tiny frown._ Dang it…. I'll miss my chance to see Yosuke try to pick up some girls!_

He walked up to me and put an arm on my shoulder. "I know you're serious about this. First, you'll need a license. We can talk about this again when you have one. Well then. Sorry to dump this on you, but I need you to look after the house."

"No problem," I replied as he went out. Suddenly, my phone rang.

"Yo, it's me," Yosuke greeted. "How did it go with your uncle? I've been on the edge of my seat thinking about it!"

"Man… you're that excited?" I sighed. "Well, he said we'd discuss this after I get a license."

"Then let's go get ours as soon as we can!" he said excitedly. "I gotta hit the books! Let's make sure we both pass together!"

"Haha, are you that excited to have me watch you fail?" I laughed.

"No, I want you to witness my triumph!" he exclaimed.

"Ha! Good luck," I replied. We hung up.

And so, I studied for a few hours. It was a bit painful...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: November 3, 2014**

**So many chapters this week! Yeah, I have some free time (for once I'm not bombarded with homework), so I decided to write and upload. :D**

**Yeah. Anyway, I posted a poll on my profile regarding the profile picture, so go vote! For those who reviewed your votes, go vote on the poll anyway. Unless you can't... If you can't then just say so and put your vote down.**

**That's about it for this update.**

**Thanks for reading! *bows***


	50. Update 5

**A/N: November 11, 2014**

I decided to put this random update here cause it's been about a week since the last chapter, and I figured you guys want to know when the next chapter is going to be up.

Right now I'm working on Kanji's dungeon and trying to level up Kanji. :D It's gonna take a while, since my other party members are like ten levels above him. :( I like to keep my party members' levels about the same...

About the cover pic, I'm going to start drawing it now. I've decided that it'll be Misaki wearing glasses smiling playfully with her sword on her shoulder. It might take a few days or so to actually draw it perfectly... Anyway look forward to it! :D

See you next chapter (or in a PM or something...). ^_^


	51. Update 6

**A/N: December 17, 2014**

Sorry for the lack of updates. I was busy, and I didn't have time to play a whole lot of Persona. :(

For those who want to see her be lovers with the other guys, I'm going to put a bonus during the lovers' events showing Misaki with the other guys. Male Naoto x Misaki is the main pairing, but I'll show the others too. :) Hope that clears up some questions.

As for the cover picture, I haven't started yet. :( I don't have enough time to draw her yet.

So yeah. I've been pretty busy lately trying to fight my ulcer and bronchitis, catching up on work, etc.

Winter break is next week for me. :D I'll start writing and drawing then, when I have more time.

Thanks for reading. *bows*


	52. Update 7

**A/N: December 29, 2014**

So... My computer is broken... I'm writing this update on my phone.

This sucks... I was almost finished with the chapter, and now the whole freaking story is gone... (Wrote on Microsoft Word). Now I have to reload the game... And grind ALL OVER AGAIN AFTER I FINISH THE PAST FEW DAYS. GOD DAMMIT.

T_T

... I might go on a **hiatus** for a bit. I need to catch up on the chapter and wait for my computer to be fixed. And I don't want to write this on my phone...

UGH THIS SUUUCCKKKSSSS. WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?

... I'm so sad right now... T_T

Hopefully my computer gets fixed really soon.

Anyway, Happy (Belated?) Holidays and Happy (Early?) New Year (if I don't update then).


	53. Update 8

**A/N: January 7, 2015**

I finally got my computer back! :D

So... I've decided to work on something different for a while. I'm sorry, but... I'm starting to lose a bit of interest for this story at the moment. :( I'm sorry...

So... This story will go on a**_hiatus_** for a while. Don't worry. I'll come back to this. I just need to do something else for a bit.

Like I said, I won't abandon this story. I just need to work on something else for now. I'll still be active in here, so you can always review/PM me or something. :)

I know this is getting redundant, but I'm sorry. I love Persona as much as you guys do, but I have my needs, y'know? I'll work on another story for a while before coming back to this one.

This story will go on a **_hiatus_** starting today.

Thank you for reading and understanding. *bows*


	54. Update 9

**A/N: February 3, 2015**

I'm baaaaaack~! :D Did you guys miss me?

I've been reading some Persona stories, and I suddenly felt the need to continue mine. XD

And no, I still haven't drawn Misaki yet... I'll get to it soon (maybe this weekend... hopefully).

To be honest, I thought the hiatus was going to last a bit longer than this... Oh well!

Expect a chapter soon! :D

(Man, I can't wait to start playing again...)


	55. Got a Bike (and I'm Back to Writing)!

**Thursday, 6/9 (Early Morning)**

"Morning," Yosuke yawned, walking up to me.

"Hey," I replied.

"I went to bed, but the little details kept bugging me, so I'd get up again to check the manual…. It never ended…."

"Wow, really? That sucks."

"Well, if we're gonna do this, let's pass on the first try. How're you feeling?"

"It'll be a breeze," I replied.

"Now, that's my partner! I see you haven't forgotten about our 'up close and personal' plan."

"I never agreed to it. I just wanna watch you fail." I beamed at him.

"Shut up."

**(After School)**

We finished taking the exam.

"We passed on the first try, just like we planned!" Yosuke said brightly as we got off the bus. "Actually, it was pretty easy. I might've studied a bit too hard…."

"If only you'd study like this for your classes," I laughed.

We chatted a bit and spotted Dojima.

"Hi," Yosuke greeted as we walked up to him. "Are you on duty?"

"We just stopped by to get gas. And, well, to take care of some minor business," Dojima answered. "Where did you guys go?"

"To get our licenses," I replied.

"Already!?" Dojima exclaimed, looking shocked. I showed him my license with a smile. "I know it's just a written test, but I wasn't expecting you to pass so soon. Oh well…. Looks like I'd better think of a way to convince my sister…."

"R-Really!?" I cried.

"I can't say no now that you've gotten your license," he sighed with a small smile. "Your enthusiasm is catching."

"Yes!" Yosuke said. "You got the okay! I need to head home and read through the catalogue! Well, see you tomorrow!" He ran off.

"Hey, Adachi!" Dojima called. His partner rolled a silver motorcycle up to us. "This is my scooter," my uncle explained, gesturing to it. "I had it fixed at the shop. It may be old, but it runs pretty well. I came to put gas in it, but I wasn't expecting to hand it over today, too…. I'm letting you have it." I stared at him with wide eyes.

"Really!?" I almost screamed. He nodded and I jumped up and down. "Thanks!" I knelt down next to it and studied it. I ran a hand on it. "It's a nice bike."

"You can tell? The local shops don't carry twist grips, so I had one of the repair guys at work help me out with it in secret," Dojima said. "Ah… don't tell anyone that, okay?"

"You're always so strict at the station, but you're a cool dad inside, huh?" Adachi piped up.

"Shut up, Adachi!" Dojima replied.

"You always yell at me," his partner whined. "Still, I wish we had a sleek means of transportation like that. Who knows when that suspicious guy will show up again?" He ranted on about the guy.

"Will you stop blabbering like that!?" Dojima shouted. "Go back to the car!" Adachi hurried off. "Anyway, I was around your age when I got my license too. I took the test behind my parents' back. When my dad caught me riding a scooter later on, he gave me a good thrashing…." He laughed. "Don't tell Nanako about that, okay?"

"Haha, you got it!" I replied, giving him a thumbs up.

"Just be safe while you're riding it," he said. "You do that, and I'll look the other way if you decide to ride it out of town. Can you promise me?" I nodded. "Good. I'll hold you to that."

A twin wanted me to find her sister. I figured it shouldn't be too hard.

Then, an old woman wanted me to get a horn.

After that, I accepted an ema request. The person who wrote it wanted their dog to return. I had a feeling this was going to take a while.

While I was there, I talked to the boy about his net. He said he got another one and showed me where to catch some bugs. I decided to try it. My timing was a bit off, but I still got a few ladybugs.

I strolled through the flood plain, giving the cat all the fish I had.

Suddenly, I spotted a girl that looked exactly like the girl who wanted me to find her sister. So I went back and reported to her.

Feeling bored, I went back to school and spotted Saki Konishi's brother.

"Hey," I greeted with a smile.

"What do you want?" he responded, staring out the window.

"Just wanted to talk," I replied with a shrug.

"I don't want to talk to you," he said coldly.

"... You sure about that...?"

"... You're an odd person, actually wanting to talk to me." He sighed. "I'm chopped liver to the health committee. You know what that is? It's something that no one cares about. Whether or not I'm there, the result is the same. I'm 'exempt' from everything because of my family troubles." He scowled. "Why don't they just come out and say I'm pitiable? Everyone circles around me, saying I'm 'so brave'... It's kind of a nice feeling, though. But they all have these obvious looks of curiosity on their faces.

"'How was she killed?'

"'Why was she killed?'

"'Do you hate the killer?'

"They don't even have the courage to ask me, but they follow me with their eyes…. Every move, every step. I'm sick of it," he exclaimed, then turned to face me. "Is that what you want, too? Did you come to ask about the murder?"

"That's right," I replied with a small smile.

"Haha… you're funny…." He sighed. "Unfortunately, I have nothing to say. All I know is what they've said on T.V. But the answer to 'Do I hate the killer?' is 'No.'" He turned around and continued to stare out the window.

With a shrug, I left him and wandered around the school for a bit.

"I'm tired of coming to school…" a girl sighed. She told me about Kanji starting his own gang and bullying people. I thanked her and went searching for him.

"Kanji-kun," I said. He was in front of a classroom.

"Whoa, Misaki-senpai!" he yelled. "I-I wasn't peeping inside! It's not like that!" I didn't say anything. "... So… why are you making that scary face at me? You have something to tell me?"

"... Yeah. C'mon." I turned around and walked away. Kanji followed me.

I brought him to the Samegawa flood plain.

"Whaddaya want, dragging me here?" Kanji demanded, looking slightly annoyed. "You here to tell me off or somethin'?"

"... Well… I'm just here to talk," I answered.

"How come you're soundin' like a cop?" He looked at me suspiciously. I shrugged.

"I do live with one."

"... So, what is it?"

"I've heard you started a gang of bullies," I replied sharply.

"Eh? Bullies!? Me!?" he stammered, looking shocked. "Senpai, you suspecting me!?"

"Well, I wanna believe in you."

"Senpai… I didn't do it. I mean…. Maybe it ain't that easy to trust me, since they say I was in a gang…. But you gotta believe me." He stared at the ground. "...'s my own fault rumors like that go around, huh? At this rate, I'll be causing trouble for you guys…." I began to laugh.

"Don't worry about it, Kanji-kun!" I said, jumping up and slinging my arm over his neck.

"S-Senpai..." he muttered, his face turning red.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"N-Nothing!" he yelped. "... But can you please let go of me…?"

"Huh? Oh!" I quickly jumped back. "Sorry about that…. I just do it when I feel comfortable around people…."

"... Um…. Whenever you got time… could you hear what I have to say?" His face turned bright red again. "I feel all cramped inside… and I'm too dumb to know what it's about." I gave him a bright smile.

"Of course!" I exclaimed.

Everything froze… again. It was getting really old….

On the card was a silhouette of what looked like an emperor. In the background were panels of green and purple. On the left side of the emperor was some kind of staff. On the other was a red and black dot.

"To make sure I don't cause you any trouble…" Kanji continued. "Well, I guess I should smack that gang of bullies around?"

"Ahahah, that'll get you in trouble," I disagreed. "You get to do that to Shadows on the other side."

**(Evening)**

I got my Jingi Fundoshi combo. I went into my room and studied it.

_Kanji can use it…_ I thought.

With a sigh, I grabbed "The Gentle Way" and read it.

_This book is perfect for Chie…._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: February 5, 2015**

**Woo! Finally pumped out a chapter! :D**

**It's a bit short because we're going into a dungeon next!**

**... And I have to grind again... Kanji is so under-leveled compared to the others... UGHHH.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading, and thanks for waiting! Please leave a review! :) *bows***


	56. Kanji's First Dungeon! Finally!

**A/N: Dungeon time! I know that my battles suck, so I decided to do some... "research." So I read some Persona stories and stuff that had some action (mainly Ark2012's "Persona: Merc for Hire." It's really good). Since I mostly read Ark's story, my battles will be kinda like his... just less detailed and different... ways the spells... "interact" with people... I guess (I'm not good with words). Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>610 (Early Morning)**

"Yo!" Chie greeted.

"Hey," I replied.

"Have you been trying to solve the case on your own in your spare time?" she asked.

_I don't have a lot of time for that…._

"I know, I should be thinking about it, too," she continued. "But that kind of stuff isn't my specialty. How about you?"

"I'm usually pretty good… but this is a different matter…" I sighed. "It hurts my brain thinking about it."

"Me too! I move before I think."

"That's kinda dangerous…."

"Well, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I'll stick to kicking things. Times like this are perfect for working out!"

**(After School)**

After I finished getting ready, I called everyone to our special headquarters. After everyone arrived, we jumped in.

Kanji landed on his face. I stifled my laughter as the others doubled over, laughing.

"Shut up!" he yelled, his face turning red.

"It's okay, Kanji-kun," I assured him. "You'll land correctly in a few tries."

"Hey, Senpai…" he said. I raised an eyebrow. "What's with the getup?"

"Huh? Oh, this?" I ran a hand over my braided hair. "It's to keep the hair out of my face while I'm fighting." I glanced down at my t-shirt and sweatpants. "And I don't like to fight in the uniform."

* * *

><p>I glanced around the Velvet Room. Marie's not there, but she left behind a piece of paper. I picked it up. It read:<p>

"_Fly!"_

_Where am I going, you ask?_

_Don't ask stupid questions._

_I don't need a map._

_I throw away my compass._

_My heart will show me the way._

_I walk by myself._

_Am I not lonely, you ask? Yeah, right!_

_I scorn the company of my own shadow._

_Freedom! That is the rule!_

_Why don't you try and hold me down?_

_I will die magnificently in front of you._

_No one breaks my wings!_

_Probably another of Marie's poems,_ I thought. Suddenly, someone screamed and snatched the paper out of my hand.

"Did you read that!?" Marie yelled. "You did it again!? WHY!? Wh-Wh-Wh-What the hell is wrong with you!? I told you not to read that stuff! That's my rule! I live here! My house, my rules! Ihateyoustupidrulebreaker! I can't believe this!" She blushed and sat in her seat. Margaret looked at her with an amused look. "I remember putting it away!"

Acting as if nothing happened, I requested to fuse some Personas.

* * *

><p>"All right, we ready?" I asked loudly. Everyone nodded, and we made our way into the dungeon.<p>

"First battle for Kanji!" I exclaimed, slicing my sword at a Shadow. A few seconds later, two appeared.

They were police bears with huge holes in them. In the holes were keys.

"Neko Shogun! **Zionga!**" I ordered, smashing the floating card. A crackle was heard, and an arc of electricity struck a Shadow.

Kanji swung his chair at the one I attacked but missed, losing his balance. He fell down, and Yosuke snickered.

The other Shadow shot at him and missed.

"Jiraiya! **Garula!**" Yosuke yelled. A gust of wind blew the Shadow off its feet. Chie ran up and kicked it, finishing it off.

"Nice!" I said, dodging an attack from the remaining Shadow. Suddenly, fire engulfed it, and it dissipated. I gave Yukiko a thumbs up and walked over, seeing if it dropped a key. It did. I picked it up and put it in my pocket.

"... Sorry, Senpai…" Kanji muttered, getting up.

"You'll get better," I replied with a gentle smile. "Now let's get going."

* * *

><p>We fought another group of Shadows. There were two rock things with red faces and hands sticking out of them. The last one was a black fish.<p>

"**Zionga!**" I yelled. Neko Shogun appeared and struck one of the rock Shadows with electricity. Yosuke and Chie targeted the other rock. Yukiko hung back, ready to heal.

Before I could do anything, Kanji said, "Take-Mikazuchi!" His Persona shimmered above him. "**Mazio!**" Multiple thin electricity arcs struck down on each enemy. It finished off the one I struck.

"Nice one, Kanji-kun!" I complimented.

"Thanks!" he replied.

I summoned my Persona again. He dove at the fish Shadow, and it dissipated.

'_That hurt a bit...'_ Neko Shogun muttered. I literally jumped and yelped. The rock Shadow rammed into me, knocking me down.

'_Th-They can talk!?'_ I stammered.

'_Of course we can!'_ another voice said. It was Pyro Jack.

'_Then why the freaking hell did you not say anything before!?'_ I demanded.

'_... I don't know. Guess we didn't feel like it?'_

'_God! You didn't have to scare the hell out of me like that!'_

'_We didn't!'_ Neko Shogun retorted.

"Misaki-chan, are you all right!?" Yukiko cried, summoning her Persona. "**Diarama!**"

"Thanks!" I called, getting up. The other party members destroyed it before I could take a step. "All right, let's kill some more!"

* * *

><p>This time there were three cupids.<p>

"Phoenix!" My Persona appeared, flapping her wings. "**Maragi!**" Small balls of fire blasted all of them. Yosuke ran up and sliced at them with his knives, leaving gashes.

**Tentarafoo.**

Before I knew it, I began to panic.

"Wh-What's going on!?" I cried.

_'Ishida-san, please stop panicking!'_ Phoenix said.

"Senpai!?" Kanji said.

"Wh-What do I do!?" I stammered.

"Snap out of it!" Chie yelled, slapping me in the face. I shook my head, finally snapping out of it.

"Thanks, Chie," I said. She nodded with a smile and ran back into battle.

They shot their arrows at Kanji, and he was hit. I stared as the arrows dissipated. Of course, the damage was still there.

"Konohana Sakuya! **Diarama!**" His wounds closed.

"Die, you piece of sh*t!" Kanji yelled. "**Zionga!**"

_Zap!_

And the Shadow was dead.

* * *

><p>We ran into two red smoke balls with red masks.<p>

"Mithra! **Mahama!**" The ground around the Shadows glowed white, and large white cards appeared. A white flash appeared. After it cleared up, we found out that it didn't affect them at all.

_Maybe it missed..._ I thought.

"Take-Mikazuchi! **Mazio!**" They weren't affected by that either.

"Konohana Sakuya! **Maragi!**" Fire blasted in their faces, but they weren't fazed.

Suddenly, I felt some heat in the air.

**Maragi.**

'_Watch out!'_ Mithra yelled. Too late. Fire appeared and forced me back a little bit. I quickly put out the fire. Chie was knocked off her feet.

"Chie!" Yukiko cried. "**Media!**" I felt my scorched arms and chest heal a bit.

"Jiraiya! **Garula!**" A gust of wind blew at the Shadows, but nothing happened either.

Kanji ran up behind it and smacked it with his chair. They completely ignored him. They didn't take any damage at all!

"The hell!?" he shouted.

"What haven't we tried!?" I called to Teddie.

"Try ice!" he replied.

"Tomoe! **Mabufu!**" Shards of ice appeared on the Shadows and shattered.

The Shadows didn't stand a chance. They exploded in puffs of dark smoke.

"Finally!" I cheered. "Now let's get the hell out of here!"

* * *

><p>"AGAIN!?" Yosuke yelled, looking dreadfully at the three masks.<p>

"Saki Mitama! **Bufu!**" One of them died.

_I need to get a better Persona…_ I thought as Chie finished the rest.

* * *

><p>We finally found the stairs.<p>

"Took long enough!" Yosuke said.

"Tell me about it…" Chie agreed.

"Let's just go up…" I muttered, climbing the stairs.

* * *

><p>Kanji leaned against the wall, panting heavily when we got to the next floor.<p>

"K-Kanji-kun?" Yukiko said worriedly.

"I'm… fine…" he muttered.

"It's harder for him to run in here…" I said. "It took us a while to get used to this atmosphere too. He's been pushing himself too hard." I patted the taller boy's shoulder. "You'll get used to it."

"Tell us when you get tired, okay?" Yukiko said, and he nodded.

* * *

><p>"Oh god…" I muttered, staring at the huge Shadow.<p>

It was black and muscular. It's also got bright rainbow hair.

"**Garula!**" Yosuke ordered. A column of wind knocked the Shadow back a bit.

"**Zionga!**" Kanji yelled. Lightning struck it, and it dissipated.

"... That was fast," Chie said.

"Oh well," I replied with a shrug.

* * *

><p>"A red Shadow!" I hissed to the others, eyeing it eagerly.<p>

'_Are you sure you want to fight it?'_ Mithra asked.

'_Of course!'_ I replied, charging at it.

Two dice appeared.

"Neko Shogun! **Black Spot!**" My Persona appeared and something appeared in front of it. It looked like a dark orb thing. Neko Shogun kicked it and sent a dark projectile at one of the dice. It flew back, a large wound appearing.

"**Kill Rush!**" Kanji shouted, smashing the floating card in front of him with his chair. His Persona appeared above him and attacked repeatedly at a die. It recoiled with each strike, but quickly recovered after his Persona faded away.

"Tomoe! **Rampage!**" A flurry of strikes struck the dice, and one of them died.

Before the last one could do anything, Yosuke attacked it with a Garula, and I summoned Setanta and used Double Fangs.

Suddenly, cards floating down in front of me. I spotted a Skill Level Up card and smiled. I chose it, and Tarukaja became Matarukaja.

_Yes!_ I thought triumphantly.

'_I'm stronger now!'_ Setanta said proudly.

'_Haha, congrats.'_

* * *

><p>"Nice! Gold Shadows!" Yosuke said.<p>

"Saki Mitama! **Sukunda!**"

"Take-Mikazuchi! **Kill Rush!**"

"Tomoe! **Rampage!**"

"Konohana Sakuya! **Maragi!**"

A flurry of attacks hit the shadows.

**Tentarafoo.**

Once again, I began to panic.

_Stupid Tentarafoo!_

"Misaki!" Yosuke said, smacking me in the back.

… Then they escaped.

"Dang it!" Chie muttered, stomping her foot.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, we finally got to the last floor. I'd gotten the stuff I needed for the requests.<p>

I passed around some Snuff Souls and Medicines to the others. After we were ready, I opened the door.

On the other side was a very large police bear with a key in a hole in its chest.

"Let's do it, Sensei!" Teddie cheered.

"Jiraiya! **Sonic Punch!**" Yosuke's Persona shimmered above him and punched the boss in the face.

"Neko Shogun! **Rakunda!**" A small purple sphere appeared on it and shrunk.

"Tomoe! **Rampage!**"

"Persona! **Kill Rush!**"

The Shadow loaded its gun and shot at me. I got hit in the shoulder.

_Didn't hurt as much as I thought…._

'_Pay attention!'_ Neko Shogun scolded.

"**Matarukaja!**" I shouted, summoning my Persona. Rays of orange light surrounded each person in the party.

"Thanks, Senpai!" Kanji said.

The boss aimed at me again, shooting a torrent of poison-tipped arrows. I quickly moved to the side, feeling them whiz past me.

_That was too close…._

Jiraiya swooped in and delivered a solid punch on the Shadow, knocking it over.

"Charge!" I yelled. We all went in and attacked it as much as we could before it knocked us away.

"**Agilao!**" Yukiko said, spinning around and smashing the card. Her Persona appeared and twirled gracefully. A few seconds later, a blast of fire knocked the Shadow backwards a bit.

Out of nowhere, lightning struck the boss, knocking it down once more.

It quickly got up and swung its large handcuff in a circle. I felt a chill.

**Bufula.**

Before I could move, ice formed on my chest and shattered, knocking me off my feet. He used Bufula on me again, causing my head to spin.

Someone grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

Suddenly, I felt my wounds heal. I nodded to Yukiko and Chie, then summoned Neko Shogun.

"**Black Spot!**" I yelled.

It moved out of the way and aimed its gun at Yosuke. Poison-tipped arrows were shot, some of them hitting him. "Bastard…." I summoned Neko Shogun once more. "**Zionga!**"

_Zap!_

The Shadow exploded into a puff of black smoke.

We had a short celebration.

I walked up to the stage, noticing something. I picked it up.

It was an iron plate, most likely for Kanji.

"Hey, Kanji-kin!" I called. He came over and I handed the plate to him. "Keep it."

"Thanks, Senpai," he said, swinging it around. I nodded to him with a smile.

"Now that Kanji knows how to fight, and we just beat the boss, we can go back. I'm pooped…" I sighed. The others nodded in agreement. I fished a Goho-M out of my pocket and threw it into the air. Bright light surrounded us.

When it cleared, we found ourselves in front of the dungeon. We wearily walked back to the entrance.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: February 6, 2015**

**So how were the battles? Critiques would be nice. :)**

**There weren't a whole lot of Persona talking and stuff because I didn't know what to write for them, so ideas would be nice. :D**

**As I was grinding, I encountered a ton of Golden Shadows, but they kept escaping! Every single one of them! WTF!? I was so pissed... I still am...**

**Yes, Misaki's going to be drawn, so don't worry! I'll start soon... hopefully.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! *bows* And don't forget to review!**


	57. Why Do People Die?

**Saturday, 6/11 (After School)**

I gave the quest givers their items and got some rewards in return.

After that, I got some books, sold my loot to Daidara, bought some armor for the party members, fused some more Personas, and caught some bugs.

… My timing was still a bit off….

* * *

><p>A lost dog wandered the riverbank.<p>

_Is it that dog the person wanted?_

I slowly approached it, but it fled. Guess I'll try tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Chie and I stood in front of Aiya after training.<p>

"Steak bowl of combo plate….? The ultimate decision…" she said.

"S-Stop it!" a familiar voice cried.

"Shut up, dumbass," another voice commanded.

"Yeah, that's right. We all know it's time to cough up," yet another voice snickered. It was silent for a few moments, then he said, "What? That's it? Quit bullsh*tting us."

"It can't be…!" Chie muttered. "Let's go!" We took off towards the voices.

* * *

><p>"Takeshi…!?" Chie said when we arrived.<p>

"Someone's here," one of the guys said, glaring at us.

"Whatever. Let's take their money while we're at it," the guy I assumed to be the leader said. The gang faced us, and Takeshi ran behind us.

"Gonna hide behind some girls, huh?" the leader taunted.

"You all right?" Chie asked her friend.

"Y-Yeah…" Takeshi answered. "Y-You've always been good at stuff like this! You're gonna get them for me, right!?"

_Not for you,_ I thought.

"Well, it does tick me off!" Chie answered, getting into a fighting stance. "You oughtta be ashamed, ganging up on one guy like that!"

"T-Take care of them for me!" Takeshi yelled, running off.

"Let's throw down!" she provoked.

"What's with her?" the leader muttered. "We'll kick your ass!"

"H-Hey, Chie," I whispered. "This is a bad idea…." She ignored me and tried to kick one of the punks. I quickly grabbed her. "Hey! Calm down!"

"Stop that!" she yelled angrily, trying to free herself.

"That guy who ran away might call the cops," one of the punks whispered to the leader.

"Screw this. Let's go," the leader said, walking away. His goons followed him.

"... What the heck," Chie muttered. "Running away when you step in…." She glared at me. "Why'd you butt in? What, you thought you couldn't leave it up to me!? I could've handled them myself!"

"Chie, we just went into the T.V. yesterday," I replied gently. "I'm pretty sure you're still tired." I smiled. "I wouldn't have stopped you if we didn't go inside yesterday. I'd probably join you, actually."

"... Sorry." She looked down. "I charged in by myself… caused you trouble."

"It's okay."

"... Thanks." She looked apologetic. "You're right, huh? I gotta remember I'm not alone…." She sighed. "It's always like that. Everyone's doing their best. Then I start to worry that it's all up to me… and I've gotta work harder…. I worry that someday, I'll end up causing even more trouble, like I did today. Haha… I'm so stupid."

"Don't say that. Just keep a cool head and remember you've got teammates." I gave her a thumbs up. "We're all here to help each other." I frowned. "That was so cliche."

"Misaki-chan… thank you," she murmured. "I need to work harder, huh? Why am I moping? I'll think about it some…. Though I'm not too smart!"

"You're not dumb either," I replied with a smile.

**(Evening)**

"Hey, big sis," Nanako said quietly. I raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Why do people die?"

_Wh-What!? Is it about her mom…?_

I sat down in front of her.

"... They die for many reasons," I answered. "... It's kinda hard to explain, but… nothing lasts forever." I glanced at the ceiling. "No one's lives forever. There's like… a time limit on how long people can live. And it depends on the person. Some people live longer than others….

"I think there are different beliefs or something. Some people think it's destined whenever they die. Others think it's an outside force that stops you… and it usually is." I glanced away. "Like sickness… or―" _Murder._

"Or what?"

"... Never mind. But like I said, nothing lasts forever."

"I see…. This is hard…" she muttered. "But I get it! Thank you, big sis!"

"It's a hard concept…. Even I don't understand it much. I don't think anyone does," I said quietly. "Is there anything else, Nanako-chan?"

"Oh, there is!" Her eyes were gleaming. "What happens to a person… when they die?" I looked at the table. I decided to choose the easiest answer.

"They go to heaven," I replied. I didn't know if it were true. No one knows.

"So, it is true. Mommy went to heaven," she said with a bright smile.

_Nanako-chan is so… innocent._

"Oh, yeah, I saw this on the news: 'Robbery at the post office,'" she continued. "Why do bad people do bad things?"

"... I don't know."

"You're not a bad person, so I guess you wouldn't know." She looked relieved. "But if there were no bad people, Dad would be home more…. Last year, there weren't many crimes, so Dad was here a lot. He used to pick me up from kindergarten…. Are bad people more important to Dad than I am?"

"He's just protecting everyone from the bad guys so that no one gets hurt."

"Then… is everyone else more important to him than me…?"

"Of course not!" I nearly yelled. She looked surprised. "He's protecting everyone, including you, Nanako-chan!" I quickly calmed my nerves. "Sorry…."

I frowned to myself.

_When were my parents there for me when I needed help…? When was the last time they_―

"Let's talk about something else, big sis," Nanako suggested.

"Sure."

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, 612 (Daytime)**

I bought the Balm of Life combo from the shopping program and went out.

* * *

><p>I found the dog again. Slowly, I approached it, and it growled at me. I began to talk to it gently. The dog whimpered and ran off. With a sigh, I decided to do something else.<p>

* * *

><p>After I fused some more Personas, Marie asked me to take her somewhere, and I did.<p>

It was fairly uneventful today….

**(Evening)**

"Yo, Misaki-chan. Funny running into you at this hour," Chie said. "I finished my training, so I just had a shot! And by 'shot,' I mean 'steak bowl.'"

"Of course," I laughed.

"You know, it's tough to train during this season. There's a lot of obstacles. Sudden lightning storms are scar, but the biggest problem is that thing." She shook her head. "One of them suddenly jumped right in front of me today, too! Those thin muscular legs! Ugh, I hate them!"

"You mean frogs?" I asked.

"Frogs are cute!" she replied. "I'm talking about…. Ugh, those dried-up, winged, greenish things…. If Yukiko was around, she'd get them off me. But I can't rely on her forever…." She groaned.

After a little while of chatting, we went back home, but not before she gave me some milk candy.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, 613 (Early Morning)**

Today's the day where everyone was going to wear summer clothing. Two girls were talking about it as I walked to school.

(Afternoon)

I answered his question about anaerobics… and we had to do some anaerobic training today….

Ugh….

(After School)

I finally got the freaking timing down! Hell yeah!

I felt invigorated after I swung my net down at the bugs. This time, I've caught a wider variety of insects.

* * *

><p>There was that dog again. I knelt down in front of it and talked to it gently. It whimpered, then ran away. With a sigh, I stood up and left the flood plain<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh, Misaki-san. Did you need something?" Saki's brother asked when I greeted him.<p>

"Nothing much. Just wanted to talk."

"Again? You really are strange…."

The intercom said that all Student Health Association members were to report to the infirmary.

"Let's go," I said.

"No thanks, I'll go by myself," he replied.

"You're Misaki-chan, right?" someone asked. I glanced around and saw another student. "A teacher said you're filling in for an absent health committee member, so you have to go, too. You better go, or else I'll get suspended!"_ King Moron…. Ugh._

"You got dragged in again," Saki's brother chuckled. "I have to turn in some notes, so I'll join you later. Just go on ahead." I nodded and went to the infirmary.

* * *

><p>"Misaki-chan? You got called in again?" a female student asked.<p>

"Guess so," I answered.

"Well, we're still low on members, so I'm grateful," she said with a small smile. The students started to talk about Saki's brother again.

"Hey, guys, it's kinda rude to talk about someone behind their back…" I muttered.

"It's okay," a guy said. "I don't mind." The door behind me opened, revealing the guy the others were talking about. "Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to kill the mood." He turned around and left.

We awkwardly went back to work.

* * *

><p>I was about to leave the school when I spotted him at the lockers. He turned around.<p>

"H-Hi," he greeted quietly.

"What're you doing here?"

"I didn't want to just leave when everyone else was still working. I just felt like I…." He looked away from me for a second. "Oh… your sleeve has dirt on it. Here, use this." The boy gave me a handkerchief. "That…." He sighed. "Never mind. I'll stay here a little longer, so… goodbye."

"All right… see ya." I waved to him and left.

(Evening)

Dojima was reading a newspaper intensely.

"Hey, Dojima-san?" I said.

"... Hold on a second. I still have some things I need to do, so I can't spend too much time with you." He sighed, sifting through the mountain of papers on the table. "It was there before…." He grumbled to himself.

"You need help?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it," he replied with a wry smile. "I was trying to find an old newspaper article…. It was falling apart, so I made a copy, but… the copy's missing….

"There's a certain case where we don't have a suspect yet…. And since the trail's going cold, it's about to be buried under newer cases. But I can't give up on this one…. Ever." … The hit and run…?

He looked… cornered. I decided not to say anything. Not now, at least.

"Dad…?" Nanako said tightly.

"What's wrong?" Dojima asked.

"My stomach hurts…." Dojima stood up quickly, knocking his chair back.

"Was it something you ate!?" he cried.

"It feels like a sharp pain below my stomach," she muttered.

"What!? I'll call the doc—N-No, wait. This happened before. Is it the same feeling!?"

"I don't know…."

"The medicine we used before is—" Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up angrily. As he talked, his face quickly changed from anger to surprise. "I gotta go. The medicine should be in the first aid kit…. She's in your hands."

"Wh-What!?" I cried. "H-Hey!" Dojima quickly brushed past me and went out the door, slamming it shut. I let out a sharp sigh and turned to my cousin.

I gave her the medicine and put her to bed.

* * *

><p>Dojima came back a few hours later.<p>

He let out a heavy sigh.

"... Hey," I said.

"Misaki, you're still up?" he snapped. "It's late. Go to sleep."

"... Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

"Just shut up… Sorry. How's Nanako?"

"She's sleeping right now."

"Good. You've been a great help here."

I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands.

_You just left without a word, and when she's in pain! How do you think Nanako feels!? What's so important that you'd leave her like that!? What'd happen if I weren't here!?_

I gave him a small smile. "Just… just remember you're not alone."

"... Yeah." He glanced away. "It's pretty late. Go hit the hay…. 'Night, Misaki." I nodded sullenly and went up to my room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**** February 14, 2015**

**Happy Valentine's Day! :D I updated the cover picture about a week ago. You guys like it? I'm not a great artist... I'll upload a better one in a bit.**

**The first few months of the game are pretty boring for me as a fan fiction writer. Why? Because I can't add anything yet! D: Well... except for some extra Social Link stuff... but that's it. *sigh* Oh well. Just gotta be patient, I guess.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! *bows* Please review! :D**


	58. Saving Yosuke's Ass

**Tuesday, 6/14 (After School)**

I was buying equipment and weapons from Daidara when he suddenly asked me to get some Inaba Trout for him. I agreed, confused as to why he'd want trout.

* * *

><p>Everyone left, and Ayane and I were the only ones left again.<p>

"Shoot… I still can't play the part I was messing up last time…" Ayane sighed.

"Why don't you give up?" I asked jokingly.

"Wow, you really get a kick out of teasing me, don't you?" she laughed.

"'Course!"

"It'd be nice to play outside, but I'd embarrass myself if I went alone…."

"Want me to help?" I asked, and she nodded with a bright smile. "All right, then follow me!" I grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the school before she could say anything.

* * *

><p>We practiced at the riverbank.<p>

Ayane was constantly off tune… or the wrong notes. I stopped playing my violin.

"Sorry…. I'm distracting you from your own practice, aren't I?" she said, looking sad.

"No, not at all," I replied. "Do you have your music?"

"Huh?"

"You shouldn't try to memorize it just yet," I said. "Learn how to play it correctly." I smiled at her. "I'll help."

"Really! Thank you!" Ayane beamed at me.

"Now c'mon, before it starts raining again."

She played most notes out of tune, and I tried to fix it.

It went like this for the rest of the day.

**(Evening)**

I was watching T.V. with Nanako. She looked bored.

I grabbed a rubber band and put it on my index and middle fingers. Then I hooked it onto the ring finger and pinky, making sure Nanako didn't notice. With a smile I brought my hand up in front of Nanako and opened my slightly closed hand.

The band jumped from the index and middle fingers and onto the ring finger and pinky. Nanako looked mesmerized. She made me do it again, and I did.

We spent the night talking.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, 615 (Early Morning)**

"Yo!" Yosuke greeted excitedly.

"What's up?" I said.

"I finally got a motorcycle! My very own!"

"Congrats."

"Let's take our motorcycles on a spin out to Okina after school!"

"... The 'up close and personal' plan? If that's the reason, then I'll go," I said with a smirk.

* * *

><p>We drove our bikes up to the city.<p>

"Hello, Okina Station! That was easier than I thought," Yosuke said.

Suddenly, someone rang a bell of some sort. Yosuke made a face.

"He actually followed us all the way here…" he muttered as Kanji rode up to us on his bicycle.

"That was a breeze!" the white-haired boy said, taking off his helmet. "It's not sweat keepin' up with a couple of kids still gettin' used to their scooters."

"If I hadn't run out of gas back there, we'd have left you in the dust!" Yosuke retorted.

"We both know he would've caught up anyway, Yosuke," I said.

"There's a lot of people here," Kanji noted.

"If we hang around here, I bet someone will come talk to us!" Yosuke said with a wink.

"Mind if I head off for a bit?" Kanji asked. "Th-There's this craft shop…. It's nothin'! I'm just saying I gotta go buy some stuff! You get started without me!" He ran off.

"Then why'd he come with us?" Yosuke sighed.

"To buy stuff from the craft shop, of course," I replied.

"Anyway, let's get this plan underway!" he said.

"Ha! Good luck."

* * *

><p>We waited for about an hour.<p>

"... I… think you're ruining my chances, Misaki," he said.

"Oh. You're right. All right. Since I'm here, I might as well pick up some stuff," I replied. "See ya later."

* * *

><p>I came back a few hours later.<p>

"Any luck?" I asked.

"No…" he said dejectedly.

"Sorry to make you guys wait," Kanji apologized, running to us. "I couldn't decide what to get."

"I should've went with you," I said. "I didn't want anything from the shops around here. What'd you get?" I grabbed his bag and looked through its contents.

There were some colorful yarn and needles.

He glanced at Yosuke and said, "No luck, huh?"

"This is so weird. I think someone's watching us from somewhere, though," Yosuke muttered.

"Really? You sure it's not your imagination?" I asked.

"I'm sure if we wait a little longer…" he protested.

"Dude, the sun's gonna set," Kanji interrupted. "Maybe there's some holes in your plan after all."

"'Course there is," I agreed. "And I blame him for making us go through all this."

"Aw come on!"

"You said every guy needs a motorcycle, but that thing's a scooter," Kanji said, gesturing to the motorcycle Kanji was sitting on. "Does it not matter what kind of motorcycle it is, as long as you got one?"

"But that's just how it goes! There's always a gap between a man's dream and cold, hard reality! I can't afford an expensive one! A scooter's the best I can do!"

"Why don't you guys go and try to pick up some chicks the old fashioned way?" I suggested. They gave me confused looks. "Hit on some girls…?"

"Hell yeah! Great idea! How else would I avenge you?" Kanji said, looking eager.

"C'mon. I have a motorbike, and I failed. There's no way you could to better. Right?" Yosuke asked, looking at me. I shrugged.

"You never know until you try," I said. "How about we make it a contest?" I stood up and announced, "Kanji versus Yosuke! Who will pick up the most chicks? How many numbers can they get?"

"Dude, you're getting way too excited about this…" Yosuke sighed.

"Shut up. I do what I want."

"And that means we're the ones that have to approach the girls," he continued. "It just sounds lame… and I doubt it'll go well for us."

"Ya chicken?" Kanji taunted.

"That's not what I mean," Yosuke sighed.

"All we gotta do is ask them to be our friend," the white-haired boy said. "Then make 'em say 'yes.' Nothin' to it." I tried not to laugh.

"Well, I guess there's nothing to lose," Yosuke gave in.

"If I lose, I'll run around the block in nothin' but my underwear and those gag glasses Yukiko-senpai had!" Kanji exclaimed.

"Oh, I hope you lose!" I laughed.

"Only girls count for this, all right?" Yosuke said slowly.

"You still stuck on that!?" Kanji demanded, looking pissed. "Hell if I'm gonna lose this!" He ran off.

"Good luck," I said with a playful smile.

"Thanks," Yosuke said.

* * *

><p>A little time had passed, and I decided to see how they were doing. Yosuke was begging for a girl's last eight digits of her number. Kanji wanted to fix a loose string on a short girl's shirt, but she was scared of him.<p>

Yosuke was still trying to get that girl's number, and Kanji was still trying to fix that short girl's shirt.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, they came back.<p>

"How'd it go?" I asked.

"Not as well as I hoped," Kanji answered.

"I thought so…" Yosuke replied.

"But I got a number though," the taller boy continued.

"What did she say!?" Yosuke demanded.

"Somethin' like it only costin' so much for an hour…. I dunno. What was she talkin' about?" Kanji asked.

"All right, I'm up next. Last chance!" he said.

"You pulled it off, Yosuke-senpai!?" Kanji asked, looking shocked.

"I know, right!?" I said.

"Of course I did," Yosuke said smugly. "One phone number, right here! Man, it wasn't easy, too. She was crazy hot. I just had to push myself a bit and go for a sexy, older woman."

"Call her!" I ordered.

"Hope you guys are ready for this!" he said excitedly. He dialed the number. "Hello? It's me!" Silence. "Yep! The guy who asked you out on a motorcycle ride! Man, I can't wait! Huh? You know my name? Did I tell you?" Silence. "We do? That's impossible. I mean, you…. Wait… that voice…." He quickly hung up. "I'm in such deep sh*t…. Did I call the wrong number?"

"What's wrong?" I asked as he redialed. He greeted once more and quickly hung up.

"It sounded like a fiend from the pits of the earth…" Kanji said and shivered. "I could feel a chill go down my spine." Was that person really that bad? I couldn't hear anything from where I was.

"Forget about it… for your own sake," Yosuke whispered. "This number is dangerous…. It's better that you don't know what that was."

"Is it that bad?" I asked.

"Oh, you guys," a familiar voice said. I jumped back and tried to draw my sword… but it wasn't there because I didn't have it, of course.

It was Hanako. This wasn't good.

"Hanako...san!? Why're you here?" Yosuke asked frantically.

"The countryside's no place for a girl like me," the huge… pig said with a smirk. "I was taking a walk when I suddenly got a phone call." I stared at Yosuke in horror. "You're really into me, aren't you? A motorcycle date, huh…?"

Run! Get on your bike and get outta here! I thought. Suddenly an idea popped into my head… a very risky one.*

"He's actually on a date with me," I interrupted, getting in front of Yosuke. "So back the hell off." I glared at her.

"What's with you?" she asked. "You're with him?"

"Didn't I just say he's on a date with me? It was perfect until you came!" I said as angrily as I could.

Oh my god, what the hell am I doing?

"Why'd he call me then?"

"It was an accident," I answered hastily. That wasn't a complete lie. "Now if you don't back off, I'm gonna have to use my fighting skills!" I jumped into a fighting stance. She didn't move.

"Are you really going to fight me?" Hanako asked. To prove my point, I lunged at her and punched at her, but stopped right in front of her face.

Maybe the training I did with Chie is finally paying off on this side.

"Jeez…. Fine!" Hanako said, whipping around. "You'll regret this!"

"Ha! As if! I'll actually punch you next time if you bother me again!" I retorted.

She huffed and sashayed away. After she was out of earshot, I bent forward and put my hands on my knees.

"Oh my god…" I panted. "That was really freaking scary."

"Misaki…" Yosuke said. I glanced at him and saw that his eyes were overly bright. "You saved my life…."

"Senpai… you fought well," Kanji muttered.

"You definitely owe me one…" I said. "... Can we just go back… please?"

**(Evening)**

I arrived at the hospital. They handed me a uniform and told me to file some stuff.

I kept hearing noises outside the room….

A doctor and nurse were talking as I walked out of the room, finished with my shift. They were talking about something.

"Were you listening?" the nurse asked me. Before I could answer, she said, "You're the student who started working here today, right?" She smiled. "I'll see you again." With that, she walked off.

What was that?

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday. 616 (After School)**

We went shopping for the school camping trip.

"What do you put in curry again?" Chie mused.

"Carrots, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and… radishes?" Yukiko suggested as she picked the items off the rack.

"Are radishes the same as turnips?" Chie asked.

Uh oh... Looks like I gotta make my own stuff for the trip….

"We were going back and forth between ramen and curry, but I thought ramen might not be enough for you guys," Yukiko said to me. They began to talk about cooking, something they shouldn't talk about.

For everyone's sake, I decided to make something for the camping trip as well. I decided to make ramen. That's about the only thing I can make correctly.

(Evening)

I worked at the hospital again after I packed up for the school trip. I ignored the presence outside the door.

"Oh, it's you," the nurse from last night said as she walked into the room. "I see you're doing your job. I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Sayoko Uehara. Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Uehara-san," I said with a nod. She seemed all right.

"When you're done here, come on by the nurse's station. I'll pour you some hot coffee. Just kidding." She chuckled. "I hear you're a high schooler."

"Y-Yeah," I said. She walked up to me and ran a hand on my arm.

"Your skin is so smooth…" she murmured. "And you're cute, too."

"Um… thanks?" I said uncertainly. For some reason, I felt violated….

She studied me for a while before saying, "I like you. When's the next time you're coming? I'll adjust my shift." Sayako chuckled. "Looks like even a town like this has something fun to do…."

* * *

><p>Time froze… for the millionth time. I wished it would stop doing this. Like, I get it! Just show me the card and get it over with! I don't need a voice in my mind to tell me that a new Link has been established!<p>

Anyway, there was what looked like some kind of goat in a red heart. On the bottom left corner was a woman. The other corner had a man.

At the bottom was the Roman numeral XV. The Devil Arcana.

Of course it is….

* * *

><p>"I'll see you again," Sayako said with a smirk as she walked out.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, 617 (Afternoon)**

We were having dinner at the campsite.

"Ugh, picking up all that trash was murder on my back…" Yosuke groaned. I nodded in agreement. "I can't believe someone threw away an entire bike. Dammit, litterers should have to deal with their own garbage."

"I guess that's the lesson being taught here," I replied.

"Haha, yeah. Anyways, time for dinner! Man, I'm starving!" he said happily.

"Uh, lemme check on them first," I said, getting up. I went over to the girls and looked over their shoulders.

The curry was purple. It was filled with… things I didn't want to know.

I went back to Yosuke and said, "Ah, well, I'll be right back." He nodded, and I left the area.

* * *

><p>I grabbed the ingredients for the ramen and went back.<p>

* * *

><p>Yosuke was laying down on the bench when I got back. Apparently, Chie and Yukiko fed him the "curry."<p>

I quickly set up and began to make the ramen.

"What the hell is this!?" Yosuke demanded in the background. "What kinda―" He began to gag before going back to his yelling.

"All right, guys!" I announced a few minutes later, whipping out a bowl of ramen. "The real food's ready!"

"Really, Misaki!?" Yosuke cried, running to me. I handed him the bowl and filled another one. He was already eating it.

After I handed everyone a bowl, I sat down with mine.

"So how is it?" I asked.

"It's great!" Yosuke exclaimed, his mouth full. "It's tons better than theirs!"

"Sh-Shut up!" Chie yelled. "But… this is great!"

"It tastes perfect," Yukiko complimented.

"Ah… thanks," I said sheepishly.

We ate our meal.

"You have seconds?" Yosuke asked.

"Uh… there's some more in there," I answered, pointing to the pot. "I think." He rushed over and got the last of the ramen.

"You're a life saver, Misaki," he said with a relieved smile.

Suddenly, the bench went lower. I glanced to the side and saw Hanako.

Crap!

"L-Let's go, Yosuke…" I whispered.

"Hey, it's you!" the pig said. I cursed under my breath. "You still with Yosuke?" Chie and Yukiko glanced at me, confused. I looked at Yosuke hopefully. He wasn't helping.

"So?" I said.

"I don't know how you can stay with him," she scoffed, shoving a large spoonful of curry into her mouth. "He's not worth it."

"Aw, shut up, will you?" I sighed. "It's none of your business who I'm with!" I spun around. "Let's get outta here." I walked away.

* * *

><p>"What was that about?" Chie asked after we got away from Hanako.<p>

"... It's a long story," I moaned. "I… don't want to talk about it…."

"Long story short, she saved my life… and my motorcycle," Yosuke said.

"Yeah, and you still owe me one, got it?" I said.

"Yeah, yeah…."

**(Evening)**

Hanako was in the tent next to us. Her snoring still shook our tent. Chie was pacing around the tent.

"Why is she snoring so loudly…?" I groaned, digging my head into my pillow.

"I can't sleep…" Yukiko muttered.

"Sheesh, we can't sleep, we can't walk around…" Chie sighed. "I wonder what Teddie's doing right now."

"Probably hoping we'd come back to him," I said, rolling onto my back.

"Being alone all day's pretty rough when you think about it…. You know, a while ago he―" Chie began. She stopped, listening to the loud snores, then growled. "That does it! Guys, we're outta here!"

"Hell no, we aren't!" I disagreed, grabbing her leg. "We're gonna be expelled if we do!"

"Where'd we go, though?" Yukiko asked. "I don't think climbing down a mountain is a good idea…."

"Aw, come on!" I sighed.

"Do you think she'd stop snoring if I covered her nose and mouth?" she asked.

"She's going to die if you do that!" Chie protested.

"And we have to go outside of our tent!" I said. "So hell no!"

"I can't take it anymore!" Chie yelled in agony.

"Hey, keep it down!" I hissed. "I don't want King Moron to come here and expel our asses!"

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside our tent. Before we could move, someone burst in. Chie kicked the person in the face, knocking him out cold.

"Chie! What the hell!" I whispered. "You might've killed him!"

"That's what he gets for coming in our tent!" she said.

"It's Kanji…" Yukiko muttered after checking the body.

"Chie!" I said accusingly.

"Crap…. Let's go to Yosuke's tent!" Chie suggested.

"Hell no!" I said, grabbing her.

"How can we sleep with Hanako snoring and Kanji right there!?"

"Let's go," Yukiko said, standing up.

"W-Wait!" I cried quietly as they left the tent. "Are you crazy!?"

I glanced back and forth at Kanji and the door. With a sigh, I followed them out.

* * *

><p>"Are you still up?" Chie asked quietly from outside the tent.<p>

"Hurry the hell up!" I said, anxiously looking around for the King.

"What're you doing here!? This is the guys' side!" Yosuke protested.

"Let us in!" Chie replied.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Yosuke said. "If King Moron finds out, we'll all be expelled! Go back to your tent!"

"You heard him," I told her. "Now let's get back."

"We can't!" Chie replied.

We suddenly heard King Moron. He sounded drunk.

"Okay, let us in, Yosuke!" I hissed. We quickly slipped in.

"So why're you guys here?" he inquired tiredly.

"Well… it's Kanji-kun," Yukiko began to explain. The three of us glanced at each other. "He's out cold."

"I-I don't know what happened!" Chie said. "He just came in and then, and then… he fainted all of a sudden!"

"... Sure…" I replied sarcastically. "He fainted because you―"

"Shush!" she ordered, jabbing me in the side. I doubled over as Yosuke looked at us skeptically. "That's all. Right, Yukiko?"

"Y-Yeah," she agreed.

"I hate you all…" I muttered.

"There was no way we could sleep with him lying there, and you know…. If we woke him up, he might've made a fuss," Chie explained. "That's why we left him there."

"That much is true," I sighed. "But we gotta drag him back, y'know."

"That makes no sense," Yosuke said. "He busted into your tent, then suddenly fainted?"

"My thoughts exact―" I began as Chie jabbed me again. I glared at her.

"Listen up! Being insolent and being indecent are very different things!" King Moron announced drunkenly from outside the tent.

"Turn off the light!" I hissed. Yosuke hastily turned it off.

The King's footsteps came closer and closer.

"Hey, are you there? Answer me!" he yelled.

"I-I'm here!" Yosuke replied nervously.

"So you're in there…" Moron drawled. "Go back to sleep!"

"Yessir!" Yosuke replied. The King yawned.

"I think I had one too many…. I'm so sleepy," he groaned, his footsteps fading away. Looked like he was gone.

"There goes a couple of years off my lifespan," Yosuke sighed.

"No joke…. We were nearly expelled…" Chie muttered.

"It's your fault we're here, Chie," I murmured under my breath.

"It's you guys' fault!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"What else were we supposed to do?" Chie said. "We can't leave now. We'll sneak out before the others wake up tomorrow. Is that good enough for you!?"

"... Let's just get this night over with… okay?" I said, laying down away from the group. "I just want to get some sleep…."

"Hey, I didn't say you could―"

"I made you ramen," I interrupted. "At least let me stay here."

"Misaki-chan!" Yukiko said.

"Your fault for not making the curry correctly," I replied sleepily.

"Dammit… you guys owe me for this," Yosuke said to the other two.

"You still owe me another one, Yosuke," I said.

"I got it, I got it…."

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, 618 (Early Morning)**

Yukiko woke me up, and the three of us snuck back to our tent. We dragged Kanji back to Yosuke's tent.

**(Morning)**

We went to the river.

"Looks like we're the only ones here!" Yosuke exclaimed excitedly. Kanji sighed. "What's wrong? Got a stomach ache?"

"No, it's just…. I think got I got pissed and ran out of the tent last night…" the boy muttered. "It's so weird…. Was it a dream? When I woke up, I was in Yosuke-senpai's tent."

"I-It was a dream. Must've been a dream," Chie replied frantically.

"No it―" I said. I earned another jab before I could finish my sentence.

"Okay…?" Kanji said, glancing at us.

"All right, then let's get swimming!" Yosuke said.

"Are you seriously taking a swim? I'm still all stiff," Kanji passed. Yosuke eyed us over.

"What're you looking at us for? If you guys wanna swim, go right ahead," Chie said.

"You know… you two still owe me," Yosuke replied with a smirk.

"We're not going in there," Chie said. "I mean, we do owe you, but… we don't have our swimsuits with us!"

"I-It really is unfortunate," Yukiko agreed.

"I put up with your dinner, I save you from King Moron, and you won't even have some fun with me in the river," Yosuke said. I patted his shoulder.

"At least you didn't go hungry," I said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm not making you do it," he sighed. "I owe you one, right?" I replied with a smirk.

"Well, if we had swimsuits, it'd be no problem," Chie said. At that, Yosuke whipped out some swimsuits.

"I've got you covered!" he said with a wink. "They're Junes-brand originals, from our brand-new line of swimwear that just came in for the summer."

"Dude…" I muttered.

"Did you have those the whole time?" Yukiko asked.

"Let's go swimming!" Yosuke insisted. Chie and Yukiko glanced at each other. "'If we had swimsuits, it'd be no problem.'" Chie growled. "I wonder what would've happened if I didn't help you guys last night," he said slyly.

"We get it already! Sheesh, you just never let things go!" Chie sighed.

"That's more like it!"

* * *

><p>The group (with the exception of Kanji and me) changed into their swimsuits. Yosuke stared at them, and Kanji blushed.<p>

"Stop staring like that!" Chie yelled.

"Hey!" Yukiko said, her face red.

"Man, this is going better than I expected," Yosuke said with a smile. "Kinda makes up for having to eat that Mystery Food X last night. C'mon, you guys gotta admit I chose some good suits. Those girls might be childish on the inside, but I bet they're gonna turn into some fine-looking women before too long!"

"And why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"You crossed the line," Chie growled.

"Definitely," Yukiko agreed. With a nod, they ran at Yosuke and pushed him into the river.

"I-It's freezing! Y-Y-You didn't have to push me in!" Yosuke shouted, shivering.

"You all right?" I called.

"Who cares? You were going in there anyway!" Chie said. "He brought this on himself. Isn't he the worst, Kanji-kun?" He didn't respond. "Are you feeling okay? D-Don't tell me the injuries from yesterday are still...,. Uh…."

"What?" he asked, turning around. He had a nosebleed.

"Eww!" Yukiko cried, pushing him into the river.

"Hey, what was that for!?" I yelled at Yukiko. "You okay, Kanji-kun?"

"What was that for!? I didn't do anything!" Kanji shouted, sneezing.

Suddenly, something made a sound. It sounded like… someone throwing up!

"Guys, get outta there!" I called.

"So that's why no one else was here…. Good thing we noticed before we went in," Chie said in relief.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, turning around. I pushed them into the river with the guys.

"What the hell was that for!?" Chie demanded, shivering.

"Hey, you owe him, remember?" I replied. "He saved our asses last night!"

"But you were there too!" Yukiko said.

"Yeah, but I made some actual dinner, and you guys didn't starve the whole night!" I said.

"That's true," Yosuke agreed. "But GOD DAMMIT!"

"Have fun in there!" I laughed, slowly walking away.

"Hey! Get back here!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

***I literally thought of that as soon as Hanako came. Last minute ideas for the win! XD**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: February 22, 2015**

**You guys like the different stuff Misaki did during the trips? And no, I'm not pairing her up with Yosuke. Sorry.**

**Thanks to Ark2012 for the ideas for the Devil Social Link (it had a lot of sexual tension in the original...). :)**

**Thanks to Thenextgamer for pointing out that mistake. :)**

**Thanks for reading, and please review! *bows***


	59. Green and Black?

**Sunday, 6/19 (Daytime)**

After I ordered the Power Belt combo from Tanaka's shopping show, I gave the woman at Junes the cabbages she wanted (she gave me a sharp shovel), got a steak skewer (I was hungry), and upgraded everyone's equipment.

* * *

><p>I raised my net, watching the bugs fly about. Just as I was about to swing, a dog ran in, scattering the insects.<p>

I nearly yelled at it, but stopped myself. It was the same dog as before.

I talked to it gently, and it whimpered. It looked pretty thin….

"Here, boy," I murmured, giving him my steak skewer. It wolfed it down, barked, and ran off. Maybe he could get back now… even if he did ruin my bug catching today… and eat my food.

* * *

><p>Marie wanted to go to the "big city," so I took her there.<p>

"So what do you do here?" she asked me.

"I dunno," I said with a shrug. "Oh, I know! You can slide down the railings there!" I pointed toward the stairs.

"Really? Sounds fun."

"If they don't catch you," I laughed. "I wanna try."

"No one's stopping you," she replied.

"Misaki-chan? Oh, and Marie-chan!" Chie called from somewhere. I glanced around and spotted her with Yukiko.

"Is she your friend?" Yukiko asked me.

"Yup," I answered, slinging my arm around Marie's neck. I felt her tense up, so I let go.

"Oh, that's right. You haven't met her before, huh?" Chie said. "She's Marie-chan. I had lunch with her once." She looked at Marie and gestured to Yukiko. "And this is Yukiko Amagi! She's our friend."

"... Friend…" Marie repeated hesitantly.

"If she's someone you know, then she must not be from around here, right?" Yukiko asked. "Did she come from the big city?"

Before I could answer, Chie said, "So that's why you're here in Okina City, huh? There's diddly-squat to do around where we live, right? Yeah, I know."

"... And a black one today," Marie muttered. "What're Green and Black doing here?" I burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Green… and black?" Yukiko repeated slowly. "Green and black!?"

"I was wearing green last time I saw you, wasn't I?" Chie said.

"Pretty sure you were, Green!" I chuckled.

"Not you too!" she yelled.

"I don't always wear black…!" Yukiko protested.

"But you usually wear red," I responded.

"I didn't say it was bad. You look good in those colors," Marie complimented.

"Th-Thanks. I didn't think it was a compliment," Chie said with a smile.

"She's a nice girl. There's no doubt about that," Yukiko said with a nod.

"But Black Girl's dressed so plain. Does Green Girl always wear the same thing all the time?" Marie asked. I held back a chuckle.

"To the point as ever…" Chie sighed.

"But she's right," Yukiko muttered.

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just… it's a waste," Marie elaborated. "Humans can change their clothes, right? You should try wearing other colors."

"All right, Green and Black! Let's go shopping!" I laughed, pulling them along.

"Will you not call us that?" Yukiko shouted in annoyance.

* * *

><p>Nothing caught my eye in Croco Fur, but the Chie and Yukiko were still looking for clothes.<p>

"How's this shirt? Don't you think it's a good color?" Chie asked Marie and me, holding up a shirt.

"It's green," Marie and I said at the same time.

"You're right! Why do I keep buying myself green clothes?" Chie muttered. "Marie-chan, what's your favorite color?"

"I don't really have one," she answered.

"You'd think it's blue," I said.

"What do you think of this skirt? Is it too mature for me?" Yukiko asked, holding up a skirt.

"That's… an eye-catching color," I said.

"Eye-catchingly black," Marie finished.

"Wearing a single color isn't in? I like to keep things simple," Yukiko said. "Thank you. I'll try exploring. Away with simplicity!"

"What about this?" Chie said, showing us a yellow shirt and blue skirt.

"At least it's not green…" Marie muttered.

"But yellow and blue make green, right?" Yukiko asked.

"Yeah, it does…" I agreed.

"Maybe it's some kind of instinct?" Chie chuckled.

"You're not doing it on purpose?" Marie asked.

"Oh god," I muttered.

* * *

><p>We finished shopping and returned to the station.<p>

"Why don't we all come together sometime? The four of us!" Chie suggested.

"Sure!" I said.

"Me too? Why?" Marie asked.

"Because we're friends?" Chie answered.

"Friends? Since when?" Marie asked.

"Didn't you have fun!?" Chie said. "Was I bothering you today? And last time, too…?"

"Huh? I was just asking about why you said 'friends,'" Marie said. "What does it mean to become friends?"

_Oh god._

"I don't really know…. Hmm…" Chie murmured.

"There's a meaning…" I muttered.

"Yes… I believe there's a meaning," Yukiko said. "There are things you can't do by yourself that you can do together with others. Like today. We had you help us choose our clothes."

"... I don't get it. After all…" Marie said quietly.

Chie suddenly yelled something about getting a DVD and went away with Yukiko.

"Me too?" Marie asked.

"Let's hurry. We don't want to be left behind," I said.

"I don't get it," she said. "It's not like I don't wanna go, though. Hey, those two are Persona-users, right? They're 'chasing after the truth' with you, huh?" I nodded. "You can't do that on your own, but you can do it together? Because you're friends…?" I smiled.

"You'll get it eventually," I said. "Anyway, let's go before they leave us behind, Blue Cap."

"B-Blue cap!?" Marie demanded. She glared at me.

"Well c'mon! They're not gonna wait for us! And I hope you like your new nickname!" I jogged towards Chie and Yukiko.

"My new nickname!?"

"Hurry up, Blue Cap!"

"Hey! Come back here!"

**(Evening)**

Dojima, Nanako, and I were eating dinner together.

The news was talking about Rise Kujikawa. I've heard of her, but I never really watched or listened to her stuff.

Anyway, they were talking about her moving to Inaba or something. I had a bad feeling about this.

"Is Rise-chan quitting her job on T.V.?" Nanako asked.

"Who knows…. But if this is her hometown, we'll have to deal with everyone who's trying to get a glimpse," Dojima sighed.

A Quelorie Magic commercial came up, featuring Rise Kujikawa.

"Rise Kujikawa, huh…?" he muttered. "The one good thing about this town was that it had nothing of note, and now we get all the buzz…. What's going on?" I glanced at him warily.

"Who knows…" I sighed. "I was kinda hoping Inaba would be quiet while I'm here. Guess not…."

* * *

><p><strong>620, Monday (Early Morning)**

I dragged myself to school.

On the way there, Kanji talked to me. He said everyone was acting a bit more different. "Hustlin'" was the word he used.

"I smell a case…" I replied.

"Dude, you're sounding like Teddie," he muttered. I laughed.

* * *

><p>Kanji walked up to the three of us with a brief greeting.<p>

"You've been coming to school pretty often lately. What's up?" Chie asked.

"It's this annoying thing called mandatory attendance policy," Kanji replied, looking annoyed.

"Seeing you here reminds me of the school campout…" Yosuke muttered.

"I thought we're all gonna forget about what happened," Kanji said.

"Oh… sorry," Yosuke sighed.

"So hey, you guys see the news?" Kanji asked.

"About Rise Kujikawa?" I replied, fiddling with my pencil. "She's coming to town for a bit, right?"

"I wonder why. She was just getting popular lately," Chie said.

"Just goes to prove that being an idol is tough work," Yosuke said.

"Is she that popular?" I asked.

"Huh? You don't know her? Dude, she's all over the media!" Yosuke said, and I shrugged.

"I've heard of her, but I didn't think she's that famous. I'm not interested in that kind of stuff," I said dismissively.

"At this rate, she'll be a top-class idol in no time!" he continued. "I'm a fan, too! She's such a cutie pie!"

"A cutie pie? What are you, 80?" Chie scoffed. "I think she used to live here, so she must have a lot of local fans."

"The news said she's going to her grandmother's tofu shop, right?" Yukiko asked. "Do they mean Marukyu? Our inn was serving their tofu until recently."

"Oh, that place! I pass by it all the time," Yosuke said.

"Who doesn't?" I responded.

"Wait, does that mean I can meet Rise if I go to her tofu shop!?" Yosuke squealed.

"Oh god…" I sighed. "We might as well go and see."

"Aren't we getting a little sidetracked from the point here?" Chie said.

"... From what we know so far, she could be the next victim," I murmured. "Those who appear on T.V. are kidnapped and thrown in, right? We can check up on her and warn her."

"It's not like Rise started showing up on T.V. recently," Yosuke said. "Also, how could Rise be connected to the incidents so far?"

"I did some research," Yukiko replied. "It seems that she had no personal interaction with Ms. Yamano. They've just been on the same show once or twice."

"She's been an idol for a while now, but she's the talk of the town thanks to the news last night," Chie said. "And she is moving here, after all."

"If our assumptions are correct, she fits the pattern… so―" Yosuke began.

"She'll be the next victim," I finished.

"Well, if she is, that narrows down the killer's methods even further," he said with a nod.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kanji asked. He was so quiet, I nearly forgot he was there. Which was funny, considering how tall he was.

"Kanji-kun, listen real carefully," Yosuke sighed. "If Rise is next, then that lets us rule out our theory that the targets have to be connected with the first case. And that means the killer's targets are people who've been shown on T.V. recently. Get it now?"

"Ohhh…. Yeah, okay," Kanji said.

"All right, now we have to keep a close eye on everything Rise does!" Yosuke said excitedly.

"How about let's not be stalkers and just make sure she's safe?" I suggested with a sigh.

**(After School)**

I asked if Ai wanted to hang out sometime (I felt that I could start a new Social Link with her), but she said during class.

I went shopping with Yukiko.

"D'you get better yet?" I asked.

"... I hope so," was her reply, and I laughed. "I'm studying the basics of the basics. It's not turning out quite like it does in the book, even though I'm following the directions." _Wow… that bad!?_

"Keep practicing! You'll get there eventually," I said with an encouraging smile.

"Yes. Practice makes perfect," she agreed. "I think there's no point unless I do it alone. Our cooks help me out all the time. At first they give me advice, but then they take the knife from me. So even if the meal turns out wonderfully, it doesn't mean anything that way. I told them to leave me alone, but they still stay and watch. Are they that worried about my cooking?"

"You wouldn't want the whole inn to burn down," I laughed. "But in all seriousness, I'm pretty sure they just care about you." She looked bewildered. "I mean, you've been at the inn since you're a kid, right? You've grown on them, I bet. I mean, you'd grow on me." I chuckled.

"Last time the head chef took the knife from me, shouting, 'I can't stand to watch anymore!' and made the rest." I burst out laughing. "The waitress saw it and said to him, 'Yukiko wants to make it herself, even if it's awful.' Before I knew it, I was 'studying how to cook for someone I like'... My parents got involved, and it exploded from there." She giggled, and I laughed harder. "Funny, isn't it?"

"For someone you like?" I repeated. "Could it be me?" I winked at her as seductively as I could, and she blushed.

"N-No! S-Stop it!" she cried. I doubled over, laughing my head off.

"Oh my god! That was so good!"

"... Jerk."

"I love you too~!"

"Stop it right this instant!"

_I need to pick some stuff up from Sayako. It'll be so great to see their faces!_

**(Evening)**

I chatted with Kanji for a while. He was complaining about King Moron.

"I wanted to pick up that microwave and sling it at him," he growled.

"You'd definitely be strong enough," I laughed.

"It's nothin'! I bet I could throw it at least 30 feet! I could easily throw it at least 10 meters!"

"30 feet and 10 meters are almost the same thing," I chuckled.

"You guys must have it tough, Senpai," he said. "Gettin' him for your homeroom teacher has gotta be the pits."

"Tell me about it…. I've never hated a teacher so much before…" I sighed.

We continued to chat.

* * *

><p><strong>621, Tuesday (After School)**

Apparently, the other trombone player got hurt and couldn't play. Ayane had to play the trombone solo. A girl dissed Ayane, and I sent her a glare.

* * *

><p>Practice was over, but Ayane was still playing. I decided to not distract her.<p>

"Oh, practice is over!" she suddenly cried. "Sorry, Senpai. I was so wrapped up in practice…."

"It's all right."

"I don't know the solo at all…. I never imagined I'd be the one playing it," she said. "What should I do…? I… I can't do it. I'll screw it all up. I-I can't do anything right!" I stared at her. That's what I thought of myself until… I met him a few years ago. "All I ever wanted to play was the flute, but my parents said it was too expensive to buy one… We had a trombone in the closet, so they told me to play that instead. It's hard for a girl my size to play such a huge instrument, but I had no choice. No matter how much I practice, I don't get any better. I'm already afraid of sticking out during practice… and now… a solo…. I can't do it…."

"... It's okay to mess up," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's how we learn."

"I can't fail…." She laughed quietly. "That's funny. I know I shouldn't be, but I feel… relieved." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I feel a little better now. This is all so much. Thank you very much, Senpai. As long as you're here… I think I'll be able to keep on trying."

**(Evening)**

I watched the Midnight Channel. A thin figure appeared. I could tell it was a girl with two ponytails on the side wearing a swimsuit. I leaned closer. She looked liked Rise Kujikawa.

Suddenly, the T.V. zoomed in on her chest and thighs.

_C'mon, show me her face!_

Unfortunately, it didn't. My phone rang.

"Hey, did you see that!?" Yosuke asked on the other side. "That was Rise for sure! Rise Kujikawa!"

"Don't sound so freaking excited, Yosuke!" I scolded. "She can get kidnapped!"

"Yeah… you're right. We should go there tomorrow! Marukyu Tofu, right? Dude, my heart's pounding already!"

"Calm down and get some sleep." I hung up.

Looked like we'll be going to Marukyu Tofu tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: March 5, 2015**

**Yay! Another chapter! I added some stuff to the Social Links. Pretty sure it's not enough, but I can't think of anything else (I'm not creative enough for this stuff T_T).**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading! *bows***


	60. Another Stakeout!

**6/22, Wednesday (After School)**

"I've been hearing that there's a big crowd at Marukyu," Yukiko said.

"I'm not surprised," Chie replied. "But was it really her on yesterday's Midnight Channel? Didn't she seem a little… different?"

"Definitely," I agreed. "But I'm sure it's her."

"Her curves… her posture… even her beautiful, slim legs!" Yosuke gushed. Suddenly, he stared at Chie's legs.

"What's that look for?" Chie demanded. Yosuke quickly looked away.

"Anyway, I'm positive! Right!?" he said, hitting Kanji's shoulder.

"Uhh, are we going?" he asked. "I don't really care about celebrities, but it's not like I got anything better to do…. Sure, I'll tag along."

"Sorry, but me and Yukiko have plans. Give us a call if anything comes up," Chie said. I nodded to her, and we split up.

On our way there, Yosuke said, "Let's be clear on one thing: we're not spectators. We're on an investigation, got it?"

"Keep telling yourself that…" I muttered.

* * *

><p>We spotted Adachi outside of Marukyu.<p>

"Mr. Detective, did something happen?" Yosuke asked.

"Oh, it's you guys," Adachi said. "These gawkers keep streaming in with their cars, trying to park in the middle of the shopping district."

"Why's that?" Kanji asked.

"Because Rise Kujikawa's here!" I hissed, cuffing him on the head lightly. It was pretty hard….

"Hey, did you see her already? Is she there? Which is it?" Adachi asked excitedly.

"Well, we haven't seen her yet," I answered.

"We're asking why a plainclothes detective is here doing traffic control," Kanji said.

"Well…. The Inaba Police Department isn't that big, and we don't have enough staff…. Well, I still have work to do, so I'll see you later." He walked away quickly.

"Dude…. You managed to scare off a police detective on active duty…" Yosuke muttered.

"Well… he _is_ intimidating…" I agreed.

"I wasn't trying to scare the guy. I just said what I was thinking," Kanji replied bluntly.

"Of course," I laughed.

"But you're right, it's weird for the police to come out like this," Yosuke agreed. "Hey…. You think the police suspect that Rise might be the next target, too?"

Before I could answer, I heard Dojima ordering people around. He came out of the shop and spotted us.

"What are you guys doin―" he began. He stopped and walked up to us, studying Kanji. "Kanji Tatsumi…!? Are you friends with them?"

"Like it's any of your business…" Kanji sighed.

"If you say so. So I'll ask again: What are you all doing here?" my uncle questioned.

"Well, Rise Kujikawa's in town… so we wanted to meet her," I answered.

"W-Well, who wouldn't wanna come check it out if they found out an idol's family ran an ordinary tofu store?" Yosuke backed me up. I nodded vigorously. "I'm, uh, a big fan!"

_Why the hell are you saying it so uncertainly? You ARE a big fan!_

Dojima still looked sceptical. He finally gave in and let us go in. He walked away briskly.

"That cop's your uncle, eh?" Kanji said. "So what the hell was that about? Are you guys under suspicion?"

"Well, they did take us in once…" Yosuke replied.

"And that was your fault!" I yelled.

"Shut up!" He cleared his throat. "If we say anything about the other world, we only look more suspicious. They'll be watching us all the time."

"Got a point there," Kanji said.

Some people began to leave, saying that Rise Kujikawa staying here was a rumor.

"A rumor!? She's not here!? Seriously!?" Yosuke cried in anguish.

"You sound like the world's about to end," Kanji scoffed.

"Tell me about it," I sighed. "Let's just go in."

"I'll buy something," Yosuke said curtly.

"Anyone up for ganmodoki?" I asked.

"How'd you know I can't eat tofu? Wow, that's considerate of you," Yosuke said with a smile.

_I didn't…. I just felt like eating ganmodoki…._

"What, what's ganmodoki again?" he asked.

"They're sorta like… fried tofu patties with veggies and stuff mixed in," Kanji explained.

"I think I can eat that," the older boy replied as we went in.

* * *

><p>We glanced around.<p>

"The only one here is your typical old lady," he sighed.

"Man, why don't you just ask if she's in back?" Kanji suggested. "'Scuse me!" An old lady came up to us.

"What the―!? Then who's that…?" Yosuke muttered, staring at the person near the back. She turned around. She was―!

"What?" the girl asked. Kanji walked up to her.

"Uh…. Are you Rise?" he asked.

"Yeah. So?" she replied.

"No way…. Are you really Risette!?" Yosuke demanded, running up to her.

"What do you want?" Rise asked wearily.

"Some tofu, please!" the fanboy said nervously.

"Which kind?" the girl asked. Yosuke couldn't form words correctly. Rise explained the different kinds.

"We'll just get three ganmodoki," I replied. Rise went and got the food.

"Wow…. She's nothing like she seems on T.V," Yosuke commented. "I wonder if she's just tired. Man, but it's really her! I'm so glad I came! Mission comple―"

"No, it isn't," I interrupted.

"You're right." He turned to Rise. "Have you noticed anything weird lately?"

"Weird…? Like stalkers?" she replied uncertainly. "Are you guys fans of mine?" I pointed to Yosuke and nodded vigorously. Soon, I was practically jumping around, pointing to him. He glared at me, and Rise cracked a tiny smile.

"'Her curves, her posture, even her beautiful, slim legs'..." Kanji mocked, and I lost it. "Ya finished checkin' em out yet, or what?"

"Y-You're doing this on purpose, aren't you!?" Yosuke yelled. "I didn't say that! I never said any of that!"

"Stop lying," I said with a smirk. He sent me another glare. "Anyway! Maybe you already know, but it's dangerous in Inaba right now."

"That's why we're investigating," Yosuke continued. "Sorry, um…. Let's see…." He asked her about the Midnight Channel. She's only heard of it. She insisted that the girl on the Channel wasn't her. She claimed that she'd never been filmed wearing that swimsuit before. Rise also said that her bust wasn't as large as it was on the Channel.

"What is that show about, anyway?" she asked.

"I don't know," I replied.

"We think the people who appear there… are the ones who get kidnapped next," Yosuke said.

"Just because you didn't wear that swimsuit before, and your bust isn't that big, doesn't change the fact that the figure resembled you," I said.

"I know this is sudden, but we're not lying," Kanji assured her.

"That's why we thought you should know about it," Yosuke agreed.

"All right, thanks. I'll be careful," Rise said. She brought us our ganmodoki with extra tofu in thanks.

**(Evening)**

"We sure have a lot of tofu," Nanako noted.

"Yeah. Rise Kujikawa gave us extra," I replied.

"Yeah…. It tastes great," Dojima said. He seemed like he was thinking about something. "You visited Rise Kujikawa today. What did you talk about?"

"Just gossip," I replied as calmly as I could. "And about Yosuke's fanboying." I chuckled.

"... Forget it…. I shouldn't have brought it up," he sighed.

"You guys met Rise-chan!?" Nanako cried.

"Yeah…" Dojima sighed. I continued to eat, trying to act as if nothing happened. He didn't touch his food yet.

"Are you… fighting again?" Nanako asked.

"No, we aren't." I answered with a smile.

"Hurry and finish your dinner," he ordered lightly.

_This isn't good…. If he suspects anything, it'll be over!_

* * *

><p>I watched the Midnight Channel.<p>

It was the same girl as before. Her chest area and waist are being shown a lot. Suddenly, the camera zoomed onto her face. It was her! Rise Kujikawa!

I grabbed my phone and called Yosuke.

"We were right about it being Rise Kujikawa!" Yosuke said. "The one on tonight seemed a lot creepier than the real Rise, but you could see her face clearly. There's no mistake. Let's all get together as soon as possible tomorrow."

"If we can see her face, then the killer can too," I said. "We need to be careful."

"Yeah. Well, see ya tomorrow." We hung up.

* * *

><p><strong>623, Thursday (After School)**

We met up at our usual table at the Junes food court.

"That had to be Rise Kujikawa," Yosuke said. He didn't need to elaborate; we all knew he was talking about the Midnight Channel. "It even showed her face this time."

"So now we know one more thing," Yukiko said. "The ones that the culprit's targeting are…."

"Broadcasted on T.V. lately," I finished.

"We can rule out the assumption that all the victims are connected to Ms. Yamano," Yosuke muttered. "As for Rise, I took a peek this morning, and she was still at the shop. So I'm guessing that 'T.V. show' thing doesn't appear on the Midnight Channel until after the person enter the T.V."

"Teddie said before that it might be the victim's own creation upon entering that world," Yukiko murmured. "I didn't understand at all at first, but now I feel it may be true. The one that appears on T.V. is your other self. Maybe the victim's true feelings are shown unconsciously."

"But… we see them on the Midnight Channel before they disappear," Chie said. "You know, when it's still really fuzzy and you can't tell who it is. How do you explain that part?"

"Maybe it's like… an advanced notice…?" I replied uncertainly.

"Or like a ransom note. But who are they announcing it to? And for what?" Chie asked. I shrugged.

"We don't know a whole lot yet…" I muttered.

"Is it possible that we see those images for the same reason?" Yukiko asked. "If the Midnight Channel shows the victim's true feelings, maybe it does the same for the culprit? Maybe what we're seeing is the culprit's intentions."

"The killer can throw people into the T.V., after all, which means they must have the same power that we do," Yosuke said.

"So… when the killer thinks, 'I'm gonna attack someone now,' that's what we see on T.V.?"

"I dunno," I murmured. "But that seems a bit… far-fetched to me."

"Well, if we're gonna go that far with it, we might as well say that's the basis for the entire world," Yosuke said. "Like, it's some kinda mix of the minds of the victims and the killer…. Or maybe it's everyone's minds?"

"I dunno," I said. "... We don't know enough yet."

"As always, nothing makes sense," Chie sighed. "Hey, Kanji-kun, you still with us? You haven't said a word yet." The white-haired boy snapped his head up, looking confused. "You weren't sleeping, were you…?"

"O-Of course not! I was, uh, lost in thought," he said nervously.

"A likely story…" I sighed, shaking my head.

"I wish I knew what that world's about," Chie muttered.

"Don't we all…." I sighed again. "Teddie's explanations… don't really answer our questions…."

"Why would the culprit throw inside the T.V. in the first place?" Yukiko asked.

"They must know by now that people die when they're in there long enough…. There's no doubt it's attempted murder. So the T.V.'s a good way to do that, because the police can never prove anything about it," Yosuke said.

"Murder, huh…? So the killer's got a grudge against certain people?" Kanji said. "Well, I know there's a sh*tload of people who've got my number. How 'bout you, Yukiko-senpai? Anyone hate you so bad they'd get rid of you forever?"

"No," was her simple, blunt answer.

"Uh, Yukiko…. There's always a slight chance and you just don't realize it…" Chie chuckled in disbelief. "But if we're trying to think of a common grudge someone would have against all the victims… I'm drawing a blank."

"Maybe they don't have a grudge," I said. "Maybe they're just doing it for the fun of it?" They glanced at me.

"Why'd someone do that?" Yosuke asked.

"I dunno," I shrugged. "I mean, some people are… weird, to say the least."

"Anyway, the good thing is, we have another shot at getting ahead of the killer," Yosuke quickly said. "We can leave the motive aside for now. Once we catch 'em, we'll make 'em talk."

"Well, at least we know one thing for sure: Rise's in danger," I said.

"Do we get to do another stakeout!?" Chie demanded excitedly.

"No―" I began.

"Hell yeah!" Yosuke interrupted, just as excited as Chie. "This time, we'll catch 'em in the act!" I sighed.

* * *

><p>We were shopping in Shiroku for the stakeout (I got some chips) when Adachi strolled in.<p>

"What're you doing here, Adachi-san?" I asked.

"Well… I'm doing legwork," he answered. He glanced away and muttered under his breath, "What did I do to deserve babysitting detail…?" I raised an eyebrow at him. He quickly snapped to attention and said, "I-I mean, it's nothing major. It's not like Dojima-san ordered me here." _Of course._ "So what are you kids up to? Buying snacks?"

"We were just about to head over to head over to the tofu shop to see Rise-chan," Yosuke answered.

"Hey! I'm on my way there too!" Adachi said.

"Then why don't we go together?" Chie suggested. I nodded to him with a small smile. "He's a detective on active duty. Not a bad guy to have around!"

I frowned at her and whispered, "That sounded suspicious."

* * *

><p>Yosuke had the bright idea of walking back and forth in front of the shop… and that's what Kanji and him were doing (they've been doing that a million times already). I was chatting with Chie and Yukiko.<p>

Adachi walked out and muttered, "Come on out, you bastard…! We're ready for you…."

I turned around, and something caught my eye. It was a guy… climbing a pole. He had a camera hanging around his neck.

"What the―!" I exclaimed, pointing at him. The rest of the group looked at him, and he dropped down and ran.

"He's getting away!" Chie yelled, chasing after him with the others on his heels. I followed them.

We chased him down the street. He stopped at the turn and whipped around. He threatened to run across the street and get run over if we tried to do anything.

"If the suspect gets injured, the police will be held responsible! They'll get really angry, and…" Adachi muttered.

The man backed up. Yosuke looked at me expectantly.

"Wh-What!?" I squeaked.

"What do we do!?"

"U-Uh…. We can't go from behind…" I muttered. "Screw it, just get him!" Kanji and Yosuke tackled him.

The man tried to protest, but Kanji interrupted, yelling, "Shut the hell up, murderer! We're taking your punk ass in!"

"What do you mean, 'murderer'!?" the man yelped.

"It's no use playing dumb!" Chie shouted. I stared at him. He looked genuinely confused….

"I just really like Risette, so I wanted to take a peek in her room…" he tried to explain. "Look, see! All I've got on me is a bunch of cameras!" _A paparazzi?_

"Yep, you're the culprit, all right. No two ways about it," Adachi said after studying him. "All right, I'll take it from here." He grabbed his cuffs. "We'll hear your story down at the station…. Ohh, how I've waited to use that line!" The detective put the cuffs on the suspect and told us to not get involved before dragging him off.

"Is it… really over?" Yosuke asked in disbelief.

"Does that mean the case is closed? Seriously!? Awesome!" Chie exclaimed joyously. I didn't say anything as we made our way to the tofu shop (they wanted to tell Rise the good news).

* * *

><p>Her grandmother appeared instead. We found out that Rise had "gone out." Her grandmother assured us that Rise did that sometimes, but I wasn't so sure.<p>

"She left without saying anything?" Yosuke muttered.

"C'mon, you worry too much!" Adachi assured him (we caught up to him). She must've just stepped out. I mean, we caught the guy." He went off.

"She left without saying anything…? Could that mean…?" Yukiko muttered.

"Shouldn't we look for her!? She can't have gone far," Yosuke said.

"I agree," Chie said.

I didn't say anything. I figured she was kidnapped… right under our noses. I've learned to trust my gut feeling, but, of course, one can never be too sure.

And so we searched.

No one found her, of course. We agreed to check the Midnight Channel.

**(Evening)**

Nanako greeted me cheerfully, as always. For some reason, she kept staring at me.

"Are you okay, Big Sis?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh…. Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit… stressed," I answered and forced a smile, hoping that it didn't look forced.

"Oh yeah. Your delivery arrived," she said, handing me the package. I nodded my thanks and went upstairs.

* * *

><p>This time, the Channel showed what looked like a strip club of some sort. Rise jumped into the shot and waved.<p>

"'Maru-Q! Push Risette!' Good evening, good evening! I'm Rise Kujikawa!" she introduced herself. The camera zoomed in on her thighs and slowly panned up to her face. "This spring, one young girl levels up to become a high school idol…. Yay! So today, I'm gonna celebrate by pushing the limits of Standards and Practices! Showtime! Show what, huh? Hmhmhm…." She leaned closer to the camera and whispered, "Everything! Eee, how embarrassing! Is this too hot for T.V.!? Well, if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing all the way! I'm gonna bare it all for you!" _Wh-What!?_ "Stay tuned!" The screen turned dark.

_That… was definitely Rise._

Yosuke called me.

"Did you see Risette on T.V.!?" he demanded. "Is she serious about baring it all!? Is it me, or are these shows getting crazier and crazier!?" He sounded excited.

"Aw, don't worry, Yosuke," I said. "I'll make sure you won't see a thing if she does strip, you freaking pervert."

"Wha―!?"

"But we should rescue her as soon as possible."

"Y-Yeah, exactly. 'Cause I bet her Shadow self is gonna do whatever it wants again. But man…. We couldn't prevent the kidnapping this time either… even when we knew who the target would be. That detective from this afternoon was no help at all. I guess we'll have to do everything ourselves. See you tomorrow!" We hung up.

_Another dungeon run, huh?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: March 21, 2015**

**Sorry for the late update. XP I had stuff to deal with.**

**Anyway, I'm pretty sure you guys noticed I updated the cover picture. The other was a bit... dark, and I felt like I could do better, so... yeah. XD**

**Hope you guys enjoyed reading! Please review! *bows***


	61. Update 11

**A/N: April 2, 2015**

I've been planning the... "kidnapping bonus" with Ark2012 for a bit (thanks a whole bunch!). I've also done a bunch of research about stuff that you guys don't need to know about... It was so tedious. Ugh.

You must be wondering: Why is "bonus" in quotes? Well... you'll find out in a few months. :)

Anyway, sorry for not updating. I had to work on tons of essays and a friend's cover picture (still not done with it yet... Sorry).

Spring Break's coming up for me, so I'm going to try to catch up. :D

I'm also planning more... stuff for the Social Links so that they won't be the same old thing. I'm also adding a new Social Link! You'll find out who it is later... in a few months. :)

So that's what I'm up to.

Thanks for reading! Sorry for the wait! I'll upload as soon as possible! *bows*


	62. New Social Links! Yay!

**Friday, 6/24 (After School)**

We went into the T.V. to find Teddie looking depressed.

"I wasn't crying," he said when Chie asked him if he was okay. "Everyone was having fun out there. You forgot about me…. I was abandoned."

"We would never do that!" Chie protested.

"We were busy trying to solve this stupid case," I said.

"I was bored. It made me all listless," Teddie said. "I'm a useless bear. I don't even know what I am. I couldn't figure it out…. No one would come visit me…. Then I thought I heard voices from our world. They were all having so much fun. I was so lonely that I tried to cry. But I couldn't."

"Well, you are hollow inside," Yosuke commented.

"Shut up! Stop saying I'm hollow!" Teddie yelled, stomping his foot.

"Don't snap at me! This is your world, isn't it!?" Yosuke retorted. "You're the one who said you just want to live here peacefully and made us promise to find the culprit!"

"Let's all calm down," I sighed, placing a hand on Yosuke's shoulder.

"I'm sure Teddie's just tired from thinking so much, right?" Chie asked.

"When I'm alone, I think too much. It makes me even lonelier," he muttered. "I was so sad that my chest would burst and cotton would fly out." The girls consoled Teddie. I patted his head.

"It's okay," I said. _Even though you're empty…._

"Can I try scoring with you three one day?" he asked meekly.

"Sure, go right ahead!" Chie said.

"Ch-Chie!" I exclaimed. "Be careful!" He looked at me with sad puppy eyes.

"You… don't like me, Sensei?" he asked.

"N-No, it's just… Um…. You're… unpredictable," I replied.

"Can we please drop the whole 'scoring; thing…?" Yukiko asked tightly through gritted teeth.

"Anyways, we wanted to ask you something! How's it been over here?" Yosuke asked. "Did a girl called Rise Kujikawa show up? Can you sense anything?"

"Rise Kujikawa?" Teddie repeated.

"You can't tell…? Your nose is kinda losing its edge lately, huh?" Yosuke muttered.

"I'm a pretty shabby bear," Teddie sighed. "Soon, I won't be useful at all. Then I'll get thrown away."

_Is he trying to take us on a guilt trip or something?_

"That's not true," I said with a small smile.

"I can… stay with you all?" he asked, his eyes bright.

"Okay. Then we'll go look for something that'll help you search, like last time," Chie suggested.

"Good idea," I agreed.

"I can't tell for sure, but I can kinda sense someone in here," Teddie said, sniffing around. "I think I'll be able to find her. I just need some kind of hint."

"All right then," I said. "Let's go find some clues." The others went back to the other world.

"There's a lot of things I don't understand…" the bear sighed.

"We'll figure it out," I replied with a smile. "You've got us, right?"

"Thank youbeary much. You're really kind, Sensei," he beamed at me. "I'll try even harder from now on.

* * *

><p>A card appeared. In the center was a bright, yellow star in a dark, purple sky. There were other smaller stars around it. On the bottom was the Roman numeral XVIII.<p>

The Star Arcana.

* * *

><p>"Nice!" I said, slapping on the back. "We'll be back in a bit with the info." I climbed into a T.V.<p>

* * *

><p>I lifted my bug-catching net slowly, watching the bugs. After a few seconds of waiting, I swung my net. I was getting the hang of it now.<p>

* * *

><p>I went up to Konishi and handed him his handkerchief.<p>

"You could've thrown that away," he said.

"Why?"

"... This was my sister's handkerchief. My mom put it in my bag by mistake."

"That's no reason to throw it away," I scoffed, placing it in his hand.

"No one ever uses it anymore, so….

"I'm sure the handkerchief is glad to have been able to fulfill its duty." He glanced away. "Thanks."

"No…. Thank you," I said with a smile.

"No…. I-It's okay, really…." I laughed lightheartedly. "Oh, I'm Naoki Konishi. I apologize for saying I hated you when I first met you."

"I was hurt," I said with a pout.

"I-I'm sorry!" he cried.

"I was kidding!" I laughed. His face grew red.

"You really like to tease, don't you?" he muttered.

* * *

><p>A card appeared… again. <em>Two Social Links in one day, huh?<em>

In the middle was a silhouette of a man hanging by a leg. The other leg was crossed so that it made a number 4. On the bottom was the Roman numeral XII.

The Hanged Man Arcana.

* * *

><p>"Last time, when I came to that meeting, I made everyone feel uneasy, right?" he asked quietly. "After that, I was officially 'fired' from the Association. They told me not to come to meetings anymore. Well, it's my own fault. Left behind again…." He fell silent for a few moments.<p>

"Then let's have some fun together," I suggested. "If you want to, I mean." He nodded with a smile. He told me where to meet him and when he was available and left.

**(Evening)**

I harvested the vegetables and planted some Barrier Corn with Nanako.

We came back in and watched T.V. together. It was a documentary about a guy trying to find his real dad. I glanced at Nanako and found that she was staring intensely at the T.V.

"Real… father…" she repeated slowly. "What do they mean by 'real'?"

"A person you love a lot," I said, rubbing her head with a smile.

"Oh, okay…. Then you're my real big sister," she said happily. "And Dad's my real father!" She looked at the table, a frown appearing on her face. "But I don't think Dad really loves me…. Maybe…. Maybe I'm not 'real' to him? Daddy doesn't come home because I'm not his 'real' daughter?" The more she spoke, the angrier I got. I didn't know who I was angry at, exactly, but I was starting to get pissed off.

Maybe I was angry at both of them. Nanako didn't see what Dojima was doing for the town… for her, and Dojima didn't stay home and show her his love enough…!

Ugh!

"... Did he say that?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"... No," she answered. It looked like she stopped worrying, but I still felt my blood boil. "Mom…. Why'd she leave me? When mom was still here, we all went out together…. We picked flowers at Samegawa."

"... She didn't want to leave you. That I'm sure of," I muttered.

Nanako continued talking about her memories.

"Hey…. Big Sis…" she said. I glanced at the time. It's about Nanako's bedtime.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Let's play a word game!" she exclaimed joyously. "Then we'll start with 'w' from 'word!' W… w... worm!"

"Hmm…. Water."

We continued to chat for a little while before I put her to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: April 6, 2015**

**Short chapter today because... Well, you guys probably know. You guys are smart people. :)**

**Thanks for reading and please review! *bows***


	63. Two Bosses in a Row?

**A/N: The dungeon crawling is going to be shorter now because I'm not going to write the... "mini battles" or whatever. But this chapter's still long.**

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, 625 (After School)**

I set out on my quest to find some information.

Some guy wanted me to… succeed him in a cleaning club, so he wanted me to bring a tool and clothing that's fit for cleaning.

Maybe Croco Fur has cleaning clothes…. That place has crazy costumes.

A guy traded a cleaning mop for an Iai Katana. Well I know who to go to now for the cleaning tool.

Down the hallway was a hugeee Risette fan. I got some nice things out of him, but certainly not enough.

* * *

><p>I went Daidara's and bought the Iai Katana the guy wanted and went to Marukyu. Her grandmother heard that there was a paparazzi wandering around. I decided to look for him… after I trade my katana to the guy.<p>

* * *

><p>I traded with the boy and went back to finding more information.<p>

* * *

><p>I found the paparazzi on the flood plain.<p>

"You came to ask about Rise Kujikawa?" the man replied after I asked him about Rise. "How about we exchange information? You tell what you know, I'll tell you what I know. The people in the shopping district are making it hard for me to do any information gathering."

"Sure. Well… I think she's stressed out," I said.

"She's worried about something, huh? Maybe it had something to do with…. No, actually, she's probably just worried about the T.V. coverage regarding the shocking hiatus. I'd heard that 'Risette' was getting tired of her made-up personality. 'The real me and the different me who has to act like an idol.' She couldn't stand living two lives anymore… or something like that. Well, you didn't give me anything new, but thanks for the info." I told him that she was different on T.V. "As I thought. To be honest, I used to do a little digging into Risette's private life. I was surprised to discover she's totally different than on T.V. You'd never recognize her in real life. Though, when you think of an idol you should honestly just assume 'manufactured personality,' too."

So… basically, Risette was acting as a "manufactured personality." And she was worrying about her true self.

"Thanks!" I said with a bow. I waved to him as I ran back home to change clothes and get my shovel.

* * *

><p>I patted the fox's head and it gave me a kung fu costume.<p>

"Chie, wear this!" I tossed her the costume. "Everyone should take off their glasses while she changes. We can't see anything through the fog without them, so she can have some privacy." I looked pointedly at Yosuke. Everyone took off the glasses and I covered Teddie's eyes.

"What did you do that for!?" he demanded.

"I'm not letting you see her without her clothes on, bear," I explained. He pouted.

While she was changing, I told Teddie the info I found about Rise.

* * *

><p>"What is this place…? It's all dark…" Chie muttered. I studied her for a bit. She actually didn't look bad in that costume. It fit her pretty well.<p>

Suddenly, the lights turned on. It was… a pink strip club.

"Oh! Like the kind you always find in resort towns!" Yosuke said, glancing at Yukiko.

"Ah, I think you're right," she agreed. "B-But we don't have one…. Our inn is not like that!"

"So this is a strip joint, eh?" Kanji mumbled.

"Strip!?" Teddie repeated. "I know what that is! It's the thing zebras have, right? Strip…. Like a zebra, right? Right!?"

"It's so bright here…. Even with the glasses on, my eyes hurt," Yukiko said.

Teddie tried to make his pun again but failed miserably.

"Misaki… is that a… shovel?" Yosuke asked me in disbelief.

"Yeah. It's a bit heavy, though," I replied. "Got a problem with that?"

"Uh… no… not really."

"Good. Then let's get going!"

* * *

><p>We traversed through the dungeon.<p>

On the third floor, we met up with Shadow Rise.

"It's Rise!" Yosuke cried.

"But something's not right…" Chie muttered.

"It must be her other self," Yukiko said.

"Hello, all you fans out there! Thanks for coming today!" Shadow Rise greeted. "Today, you're gonna see every last inch of me! What's that? You don't believe me? Ahahah! Okay, okay! Then why don't we―Oh, but you won't be able to see with all this smoke, huh? Okie-dokie! Just follow me a little further in and I'll prove that I'm every bit as good as my word!" Words appeared above her head.

"W-Were we like that…?" Kanji muttered. "That's… going kinda far…." Suddenly, we heard a large crowd cheering.

"... A bit," I replied.

"The roar of the crowd is insane this time…. It's making me sick…" Chie groaned.

"If people really are watching this, we gotta do something, and fast," Yosuke said.

"All right, Risetteers! Don't touch that dial! When we come back, you'll get a good, long look at the real me! Maru-Q!" She turned around and ran off.

"We'd better move it! This is a thousand times worse than just hearing a few nasty secrets!" Yosuke exclaimed. Suddenly, we heard Shadows.

"They're really getting aggravated!" Teddie cried. "What we just saw is what that Rise girl is suppressing! She'll be in trouble at this rate!"

"So, guess I'm on the rescue team now. All right, let's hurry up and go!" Kanji yelled.

"If the Shadows get in our way, we'll just smash 'em!" I said.

* * *

><p>I went back and fused some more Personas after continuing deeper into the dungeon.<p>

* * *

><p>On the seventh floor (it was dark, which I didn't like. I couldn't see where the Shadows were), we had to find… something. We came across a door. Voices could be heard.<p>

I nodded to the team and pulled aside the curtains.

Shadow Rise was standing there. In a flash, the lights were on. Standing in Shadow Rise's place was a white snake. Shadow Rise herself was nowhere to be seen.

"All right!" I yelled. "Let's beat this guy up!"

The Shadow twirled around and green smog enveloped the area.

"What the hell is this!?" Kanji asked.

"No idea," I replied. It smelled horrible. Before we could do anything, green zaps of light bounced around the whole area. Yosuke got hit with it.

Wounds opened up on his body. They looked a bit… purple. Was he poisoned!?

"Persona! **Matarukaja!**" I yelled, smashing the tarot card. I felt stronger.

"**Fatal End!**" Kanji yelled, lunging towards the Shadow. Take-Mikazuchi appeared and brought down his lightning bolt, slicing the snake.

Yukiko healed Yosuke.

"**Revolution!**"

Suddenly, the green smog cleared away. The snake twirled around and the smog reappeared.

"This guy really likes to keep it up, huh?" I muttered, trying not to gag at the stench.

"**Agilao!**" Fire blasted the snake, making it fly across the room.

It recovered and whipped its tail around, an orange wave slicing across the room. It passed through me, cutting open a few wounds.

Suddenly, panic struck me.

"Misaki-chan!?" Yukiko cried, running towards me. She glared at me and slapped me in the face.

"What the hell was that for!?" I demanded jokingly as the others kept the snake at bay.

"You didn't look okay, so…" she muttered. I chuckled.

"I was kidding! Now let's get back."

"Gdon! **Agilao!**" I yelled, charging at the Shadow. It flew back and hit the wall. "Go, go, go!" We all smacked it until it dissipated.

"Good job, guys!" I laughed.

* * *

><p>"There it is!" Chie yelled.<p>

"Look, the real one's here too!" Yosuke said, pointing to the stage. The Shadow laughed.

"They're all watching! All eyes are on me now!" she laughed.

"Stop it!" the real Rise cried.

"Aww! What's the matter? You wanna show your stuff, don'tcha?" her Shadow asked. "How's this!?" She danced on the pole.

"Please… stop this…" Rise pleaded.

"Ooh, she wants me to stop. That's so funny," the Shadow smirked. "As if that's even close to what you're really thinking, you little skank! You're me! And obviously, I'm you!"

"No…. That's not true!" Rise protested.

"C'mon, look! You can't tear your eyes away! This is me! This is who I really am! Not Risette, the fake celebrity! Look at the girl right in front of you! I'm sick of being some airhead cliche who chokes down everything she's fed and takes it all with a smile! 'Risette'? Who the hell is she? There's no such person in this world! I'm no one but myself! C'mon, look at me!"

"That's not―I…!" Rise began.

"Well then, I guess it's time to prove it. I'm gonna show it all off!" the Shadow shouted. "Let my naked truth be burned into your brains!" I glanced at Teddie and Yosuke. They both looked excited.

"Ha! No," I said.

"Stop…. Stop it!" Rise yelled, getting onto her feet. "You're…."

"No! Don't say it!" Chie shouted.

"You're… not me!" Rise screamed.

Her Shadow laughed evilly as dark smoke enveloped her.

She turned into a large rainbow girl. A flower mask was on her face. A pointy thing stuck out of the middle of it. Basically, her face resembled a satellite. She had two ponytails on the side of her head. She was hanging on the pole.

"Let's do this!" I yelled.

"And now, the moment you've been waiting for!" the Shadow exclaimed. "It's time for me to show you every last inch of myself! And for our guests in the front row…. I'll give you extra-special, extra-intense service!"

_Crap…._ Everyone except Yukiko and Teddie were right in front of Shadow Rise.

"Setanta! **Matarukaja!**" I yelled.

"Tomoe! **Revolution!**" she ordered.

"**Agilao!**" Fire blasted on the Shadow's face.

"**Fatal End!**" Take-Mikazuchi came out of nowhere and sliced the Shadow, cutting open a large gash on her side.

"**Rakunda!**"

Shadow Rise danced on her pole and lifted an arm. A tiny ball of fire hit Yukiko. It didn't affect her much, as expected.

"Jiraiya! **Garula!**" A tornado formed and whipped at the Shadow, cutting her a bit.

Tomoe flew in and slashed repeatedly at the boss.

Suddenly, the area I was standing in felt unbearably hot. _Crap!_ A small fireball erupted on me. I cried out, losing my balance. Yukiko healed me up, and I got back on my feet.

"Taotie! **Mind Charge!**" I became focused.

Once again, I felt intense heat. A larger fireball blasted me in the chest, but I wasn't weak to it this time.

"**Megido!**" A tiny, white ball imploded on the Shadow.

Jiraiya flew in and sliced at her with his ninja stars.

"Enjoying yourself?" Shadow Rise laughed. "I've got a ways to go until I show my true self…. You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

I felt cold.

**Bufu.**

A small block of ice formed on my chest and broke.

"Konohana Sakuya! **Agilao!**"

"Pale Rider! **Mind Slice!**" He appeared and swung his scythe, cutting into Shadow Rise before disappearing.

"**Zionga!**" Kanji yelled. Lighting struck her.

She grabbed the pole with her hands and swung herself around it. A large orange wave came towards it. I jumped over it and summoned Taotie.

"**Mind Charge!**" I was focused again.

A bunch of different elements struck her, but she didn't go down yet.

"What? I dealt all that exquisite pain and you're still not satisfied? What a finicky guest…. You might as well die, then!" Shadow Rise yelled. She danced on the pole and green light flooded the area. The light formed boxes around each of us and disappeared.

"What's that!?" I asked.

"No touching allowed," the Shadow giggled.

"**Megido!**" It missed, and the Shadow laughed.

The whole area felt hot.

**Maragi.** I couldn't move away in time. The fire hit me, and I fell. Yukiko healed us all up.

That's how the rest of the fight went. We couldn't hit her, no matter how hard we tried. She slowly weakened us. All Yukiko could do was heal us.

But she was slowly getting more and more tired. I helped with the healing too.

"I can see everything about you!" Shadow Rise laughed.

"What's the deal!? Our attacks aren't even connecting!" Chie yelled.

"Damn, it's like it's anticipating our every move," Yosuke said.

"I-I'm completely useless…" Teddie whimpered. The green light appeared again. "I think it's scanning us! This is not good!"

"When you say 'not good,' what exactly does that mean?" Kanji panted.

"Woohoo! Analysis complete," Shadow Rise announced.

"What!?" I yelled. "This is bad!"

"Okay, here comes my counterattack! See if you can dodge, hmm?" she laughed.

"S-Stop it!" Teddie shouted. Everything turned white, and I felt a large force knock me down.

"Fortuna! **Mediarama!**" I ordered, smashing the glowing tarot card. "We can't keep healing for long…."

"How're we supposed to win…!?" Chie groaned.

"A-Are we… going to die…?" Yukiko muttered.

"... We just have to hope we don't," I muttered.

"You guys can't die!" Teddie cried. "What can I do…? Sensei…." I looked at the real Rise.

"Take Rise and get out of here!" I told him. "Hurry!"

"Abandon you…? Only I'd get away…?" he said. "I can't do that! Am I going to be all alone again…? No…. That's not what I want!" She scanned us away.

"It's winding up again!" Kanji said through gritted teeth.

She blasted us with that attack again.

"Goodbye… forever!" she said, readying up another one.

"It's coming!" Yosuke shouted.

"If only I had some kind of shield magic…" I muttered.

Suddenly, Teddie ran in front of us.

"Teddie! Are you crazy!?" I said. "Get the hell out of here!"

"My body's moving on its own!" he replied, sounding panicked. "I feel like I'm going bear-serk! I-I'll do it! Took a good look… at Teddie's last stand!"

Then… he looked like he was on fire. He was literally glowing with power.

"This high energy reading…" Shadow Rise muttered. "It it coming from that weird thing?"

"Roaaaaaaaaaaaaaawr!" the bear screamed, charging at the Shadow.

"Teddie!" the rest of the team and I cried.

After the light cleared, we ran up to him.

"Teddie!" Kanji and I cried, our voices breaking.

"You idiot…. You coulda died…" Kanji scolded.

"Did I… help?" the flat, charred Teddie asked.

"Yeah… you did," I answered with a smile.

"You didn't just help, you save our lives!" Yosuke added.

"Neat! I'm so glad…. I didn't want to be alone anymore," the bear said tightly. He pulled himself up somehow. "What in the world?! Noo…. My fine, silky fur…. I was so proud of it!"

"Looks like he's gonna be just fine… I guess," Yosuke muttered. The rest of the team ran to Rise.

"Teddie… good job," I told him with a bright smile. "Take a break." I followed the others.

"Where… am I?" Rise asked. "I'm sorry…. It's all my fault…."

"It's not your fault," I said.

"No…. It's still something that 'I' did," Rise muttered. She got up and faced her Shadow. Her Shadow followed suite. "I'm sorry…. You must've been in a lot of pain up to now. You're part of me, but I kept refusing to admit you existed. I was trying to figure out who the real me was. But I realize now that I was on the wrong track. There is no 'real' me. It just doesn't exist."

"There's no… real me…?" Teddie repeated. I glanced back at him, worried.

"You… me… even Risette…. They were all born from me. All of them are… me," Rise continued. Her Shadow turned into her Persona.

She was wearing a pure white dress. In her hands was some kind of crown. Her head resembled a satellite.

A scanning Persona.

Rise fell, and Yosuke caught her.

"I'm all right…. Hey, you're the one who came to the store, right?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. And these guys came with me," Yosuke said. We all introduced ourselves. I quickly glanced back at Teddie.

His eyes… were different than usual. They looked… broken.

"Thanks, everyone," Rise said.

"We'll explain everything later, but for right now―"

"Teddie," I called. "You okay?" Everyone turned around.

"There's… no real me…?" he asked in disbelief.

"H-Hey, Teddie…" Kanji began.

"No, get back!" Rise warned us. "Something's coming out of him!"

"Real? Me?" Teddie (?) said. His voice was… deeper… and more menacing. It sent chills down my back.

"T-Teddie?" I said uncertainly. I slowly walked up to him.

"Wait! Be careful!" Rise cried.

The voice chuckled. "Such foolishness." Suddenly, something came out of Teddie and appeared behind him.

I was face to face with a larger version of Teddie… its yellow, empty eyes staring right into mine.

I was frozen.

"What is that thing!?" Yosuke said.

"D-Don't tell me…. Is that the other Teddie? Teddie's hidden thoughts!?" Chie exclaimed.

"T-T-T-Teddie…" I stammered. I couldn't take my eyes off of those empty ones.

"I believe so, but it seems like there's more…. I felt some powerful presence intervene," Rise answered Chie.

Teddie turned around and jumped back and crashed into me, yelping as we fell down.

"The truth is unattainable," Shadow Teddie said. "It was always be shrouded in fog. Though you reach through the murk and the gloom to grasp something, you have no means to know it is the truth. In which case, why? What sense is there in yearning for truth? Close your eyes. Lie to yourself. Live in blissful ignorance. It is a much smarter way to exist."

This was odd. He didn't act like the other Shadows.

This was bad.

"What're you talking about!? I don't understand a word you're saying!" Teddie yelled. "You're making it sound difficult because I'm not that smart!" I would've laughed if we were in a different situation. "How rude! Maybe you can't tell, but I'm thinking as hard as I can!"

"It is those efforts that I am calling useless…. You are hollow. Empty," the Shadow said. "At your core, you know this…. You just cannot accept it. So you seek an alternate form… a denial of your nature. You have no lost memories. If you have forgotten anything, it is this truth."

"Th-That's… a lie…" Teddie whimpered.

"Shall I spell it out for you? You are a but a mere―"

"I said shaddup!"

_A mere what?_

I had a feeling Teddie knew what the Shadow was about to say.

Teddie charged at his Shadow, but was flung back.

"It is the same for you all…. You undergo suffering because of your search for the truth…. This world is filled with thick, heavy fog…. How can you find something when you know not what you search for?"

"... He's different…" I muttered.

"What?" Rise asked.

"... Shadows don't usually act like this…. This one keeps mentioning the fog…" I said. "And the truth…."

"Maybe it's because Teddie's different?" Chie said. "I mean… it's not like we had problems with the truth like Teddie does…."

"He's talking to all of us, not just Teddie," I mumbled. "Something's wrong."

I stood up.

"To answer your question," I said, "all we have to do is lift the fog. Not that it'll be easy…"

"And thus, you invite more suffering upon yourselves. It is beyond my comprehension," he replied.

"You wouldn't know," I said. "You don't even try! You seem to embrace the fog… we're trying to lift it. Our interests clash."

"Then I will grant you one truth," he said. "You will all die here. You sought the truth, only to find death." I laughed.

"We won't know until we get there," I said. "So let's stop assuming and get to it."

"How are we supposed to fight something like this without Teddie?" Yosuke asked.

"It's all right…. Get ready, everyone," Rise said.

"Don't tell me you're fighting with us!" Chie yelled. "You can't take it!"

"I'm okay…. I should be able to take that bear's place!" Rise replied. "It's my turn to save you all!"

"Okay then. Let's do it," I said.

The Shadow became huge. He sank into the floor. His face was broken, his eyes purple and blue.

"I shall give you the 'truth' you claim to hold so dear…" Shadow Teddie said. "The inescapable fact of your death here!"

"You wish!" I yelled.

"Was that creepy thing really inside our Teddie?" Chie murmured.

"... Guess so," I replied.

"Foolish beings! Accept your end with dignity and grace!" the Shadow said.

"Setanta! **Matarukaja!**"

"Tomoe! **Revolution!**"

"**Agilao!**"

Jiraiya and Take-Mikazuchi dove in, slicing and punching the large Shadow as much as they could.

"**Rakunda!**"

Tomoe joined the other two soon after.

Suddenly, everything felt cold.

**Mabufula.**

Everyone got hit. Yukiko took the most damage.

"Why, you!" Chie yelled, sending her Persona at the Shadow.

Suddenly, I didn't feel as strong.

**Dekunda.**

He took off our buffs….

"Taotie! **Mind Charge!**" I was focused.

Yukiko got up and healed us.

Then he silenced Yukko and me. I didn't know it at first.

I tried to summon the tarot card. It didn't appear. I quickly fished out two mouthwashes and handed one to Yukiko.

While the two of us were trying to cure the silence, the other three were pounding on Shadow Teddie as much as they could.

Once again, the room went cold… but this time it was colder. I got hit by it…. It hurt a whole lot.

Yukiko instantly fainted.

_Was that a Mind Charged Bufula!?_

"Chie! Keep attacking the Shadow! I'll revive her!" I yelled, running over to Yukiko and pulling out a revival bead. I placed it near her, and it glowed. A second later, it shattered, and Yukiko woke up and quickly healed us up.

"**Rakunda!**" I yelled.

"Stop this futile struggling. Even if you resist, it will all come to naught," Shadow Teddie said. He dove into his hole and emerged with a black, glowing ball.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Rise said.

"Keep attacking!" I ordered. I focused myself and used Megido.

We pounded him for a bit before Rise told us that he was going to attack. We went into our defensive stances and braced ourselves.

The Shadow swung his arm, the black orb exploding and hitting us. It didn't affect us at all.

"Charge!" I yelled.

He lowered our defenses again.

"**Dekunda!**"

Yukiko kept healing us as we pounded on him. He raised his arm and smashed down, sending a large heat wave and debris flying at us. A thick mirror appeared in front of me and reflected the attack back at him.

I quickly used some snuff souls and focused myself.

"What…? How can you summon such strength for such a futile endeavor?" Shadow Teddie asked.

We pounded on each other for a bit until Shadow Teddie brought out another skill. A colorful orb appeared in front of me. It shot something at me, and I fell, my head spinning.

"Senpai!" Kanji yelled.

"I'm… fine…" I muttered, shaking my head. "Just... keep attacking!"

Suddenly, I felt the temperature drop. I couldn't stand, so I couldn't avoid the Bufula spell.

I felt my wounds heal a bit, and my head cleared.

"**Mind Charge!**" I was now focused. "**Megido!**"

"Why do you still resist…!? Even should you win, naught but suffering awaits!" the Shadow yelled. He used that dizzying spell again on me and Chie.

Yukiko pulled me up as he charged another large ball. I quickly pulled Chie up and lowered myself into a defensive stance. He hit us with the large ball again, but it didn't affect us this time either.

"Let's go! **Rakunda!**" I yelled.

Once again, the others resumed their barrage of attacks. I used a Mind Charged Megido again, feeling myself growing more and more weary.

"Dammit…" I muttered. "Setanta! **Fatal End!**" He sliced down with spear, breaking the Shadow's face even more..

The seemed to do the trick. Shadow Teddie let out a scream as he fell.

We tiredly made our way to Teddie (we didn't have enough strength to celebrate).

"Was that part of you, Teddie?" Yukiko asked.

"Even Teddie had a hidden side…" Chie muttered.

"I… I don't know who I am…" Teddie said to his other self. "I've thought a number of times… that maybe there is no answer. But I'm here…. I live here."

"We'll help you find it," I said with a smile. "You're not alone, after all."

"Then… I don't have to do this all on my own?" he asked.

"Dude, we'll help you figure it out," Yosuke said.

"I'm sure we'll find out about you, as we continue investigating this world," Yukiko said.

"Y-You guys…!" Teddie cried. "I'm one lucky bear!" He began to sob.

Teddie's Shadow transformed into a Persona.

It was basically a red and yellow ball with tiny arms and legs and a cape holding a large missile above its head.

"Congrats," I laughed.

"I can sense strong power from it…" Rise said, her voice hushed. "It's awesome, Teddie." She fell down.

"Rise-chan must be tired," I said. "And so are we. Let's get outta here." I tossed a Goho-M into the air.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay, Rise-chan?" Yukiko asked. "We're almost outside."<p>

"I'm all right…. I'm more worried about Teddie…" Rise whispered.

"You okay there? We gotta go back for now…" Kanji told the bear.

"I wanna be alone for a while," Teddie said.

"That's a first," I commented.

"H-Hey…" Yosuke said.

"My beautiful fur is all rough and coarse…" the bear whined. "And my nose hasn't been working too well either. So while I wait for my fur to grow back, I'm gonna train hard! Nobody can stop moi! Here goes!" He dropped onto his back and did sit-ups.

"Wh-What's gotten into you…?" Yosuke wondered.

"Don't… talk… to me… please." Teddie grunted out each word as he did a sit-up. "One more set! Huh! Hah! Another one!" I laughed.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Teddie," I said. "I don't want you to be pooped when we come back."

"Leave him be. Comes a time when a man's gotta stand on his own two feet," Kanji muttered.

"I'm not sure this is really one of those times," Chie replied.

"Chie and I will take Rise-chan home," Yukiko said.

"Yeah, she'll need a lot of rest. We'll talk after she regains her strength," Yosuke said.

"Well, um…. Good luck, Teddie!" Chie said as the rest of the team went back to the other world.

"I said this before, but… I can… sense… something… special… about you… Sensei," Teddie grunted. "There must be something… that I… can do…. That's… how I feel… when I'm with… Sensei. That's why I'm gonna get stronger! To find my special thing! Raaawr!" He looked at me with fire in his eyes.

"I'm looking forward to it, Teddie," I said with a smile. "Make sure you don't die from doing too many sit-ups before then, okay?"

I walked up to the T.V. and glanced back at the bear.

_Good luck. Teddie._

**(Evening)**

I was really worn out. I almost collapsed instead of sit at the coffee table. A drunk Dojima came home with Adachi.

"Whoo…. I'm hooooome! Nanako! I'm baaack!" Dojima greeted drunkenly.

_Oh god…._

"W-Welcome back," Nanako muttered.

"Oh, hi, Nanako-chan. Sorry, but could you go get his futon ready?" Adachi asked. She nodded and quickly went to his room. Adachi placed his partner on the couch. "I think he had a little too much to drink. Haha."

"How else…" Dojima hiccuped, "am I supposed to deal with this crap!? Friggin' fancy-talking' kid…."

_Kid?_

"I've… I've been in this line'a work… since you were all learnin' yer times tables!" he continued.

"I'm sure you did, Uncle…" I agreed.

"The prefectural police sent in special investigational support," Adachi explained. "'Cause you know, we haven't really made any progress on the serial murders since they started in April…. Haha."

"... I see," I said.

"So this 'special support' is supposedly a hot-shot detective from a well-known private agency," Adachi said. "But you shoulda seen the look on my face when I met him! He's only a kid your age! I hear he's a pretty sharp cookie, though." I raised an eyebrow. Was it that kid that we met back a few months ago?

"Awwww, he's a brat like any other," Dojima mumbled. "Ain't nothin' he can do to help." He hiccuped. "He goes on and on about deductions and… deductions…. Heh. Ace or no ace, the prefeckshure oughtta be more careful about giving us brats to babysit…. Condes… condescendin' bashtards…." He hiccuped again.

"The kid said, as long as he can be of assistance in solving a difficult case, he won't require a reward," Adachi added. "Well, you can imagine the shine the higher-ups took to him after that. So we can't exactly turn him down…."

"Adachi!" Dojima yelled.

"Gah, sorry! Me and my big mouth…."

"You run your jaw like this is all shome kinda joke…" Dojima scolded. "It's your fault to begin with, for jumping the gun and hauling in that Peeping Tom! And you!" He pointed at me.

"Y-Yes!?" I yelped.

"You'cn take your share of the blame, too…. Always wandering around crime scenes whenever somethin' happens..."

"... Well, I'm just curious is all…" I mumbled as he continued to scold me.

"His futon's ready," Nanako announced quietly. Adachi brought my uncle to his futon. "Sure does stink like sake in here…."

"... Tell me about it…" I sighed.

I come home from two boss fights to this?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: April 7, 2015**

**I think there were a few foreshadowing moments in this chapter, but I don't now for sure. Of course, I'm probably kinda late on this "train," but whatever.**

**Persona 4 Spoilers Good Ending Spoilers: Dojima says Adachi runs his jaw like it was all a joke. Adachi does treat it like a joke. [End of Spoilers]**

**I think there's one more about Persona 4 Arena Ultimax [spoilers] about Kagutsuchi, [end of spoilers] but I don't know.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! *bows***


	64. Taking Marie to School

**Sunday, 6/26 (Daytime)**

I ordered the Myth-like sword combo and went out.

I took Marie (or should I say "Blue Cap") to school.

"You go to 'school' every day, right?" she asked. "You don't get tired of it?"

"Sometimes," I replied. "But it's fun."

"Fun…? Oh, do they have a T.V. there? Can you watch 'StarScandalz?"

"What's that?" I asked.

"Yo, partner! Whatcha do―" Yosuke began as he ran up to us.

"Hey," I greeted.

"Oh, hey, Marie-chan? It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said. "I heard that you'd been with Chie and Yukiko. So you're showing her around, huh?"

"Yeah. Showing her the school," I replied. "Marie wants to see it."

"Oh, I get it. Marie-chan goes to a different school, huh. Er, still…. What could be special about our school?" he said. "I'll join ya. Allow me to welcome you to Yasogami High!"

"Can I go inside?" Marie asked excitedly.

"Of course," I answered. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>We were on the second floor of the school.<p>

"And here's our classroom," Yosuke said, pointing to the door. "Pretty retro, huh? I guess you could call it cozy."

"... It's so big," Marie muttered.

"It is?" Yosuke asked. "Well, there's a lot of empty land here…. I guess the school's pretty big if you count the fields and yards and stuff. What about where you are, Marie-chan? Is it cramped, since it's in the city?"

"It's tiny," she answered. "I mean, it's a single room."

"One room!? Seriously!?" Yosuke exclaimed.

"You wouldn't believe how small it is," I laughed.

"Is it, uh… some kind of advanced placement class or something?" he asked.

"I don't know," Marie replied. "It's small, it's dark, The Nose never says anything. Nobody ever says anything. It's boring."

"The Nose…? Is that, uh, what you call your teacher?" he said.

"He has a looooong nose," I chuckled.

"A teacher who doesn't talk…. Isn't that neglecting your job?" he muttered.

"Hey, I want to see more. There's still more to see, right?" Marie asked, her eyes shining. She walked up the stairs.

"... She's as strange as she was last time," Yosuke muttered. "Then again, everybody I've gotten to know recently has been pretty much on the odd side, so I'm used to it."

"... Yeah," I agreed.

* * *

><p>We followed her onto the rooftop.<p>

"This is where we hang out," Yosuke explained. "What do you think? Isn't this a great place to spend your youth?"

"Youth?" she repeated. "How does someone spend youth? Give me an example."

"It's kinda hard to explain…" I muttered.

"Well, y'know… building friendships, sharing your concerns, confiding in each other…. Stuff like that?" Yosuke said. "It's kinda awkward to have to put it into words…."

"I don't get it. Do Green and Black do that, too?" Marie asked. Yosuke looked confused.

"Pretty sure you spend it with everyone," I murmured.

"Why do you need to spend youth? Don't you have anything better to do?" she asked.

"Y-You want me to say more!?" Yosuke exclaimed. "I mean, it's fun. Not being in superficial relationships…. Being with people who know the real you."

"... The real you?"

"Being with people like that helps keep me from losing sight of who I am. Y'know, so I can face myself…."

"Yeah," I agreed. "It's fun."

"Face yourself…" she mused.

"Wondering about your 'true self'?" I asked.

"No. I said it before, there's… no truth," she said. I didn't say anything, but I completely disagreed with her.

Yosuke quickly changed the subject and suggested we go to the library. He ran off.

"Face your true self…?" Marie muttered.

"... Well, let's get going. We don't want to keep Yosuke waiting," I said.

**(Evening)**

"Hm? What a coincidence," Adachi said.

I was taking a walk in the shopping district.

"Hey," I greeted.

"What are you doing out so late?" he asked. "It's dangerous, you know. Go home."

"... I don't really feel like it right now, Adachi-san," I replied. "Maybe we can chat a bit?"

"You must have a lot of time on your hands," he chuckled. "Dojima-san will be on your ass, you know."

"He probably will be," I laughed. "But I'm with a detective. I should be safe, right?"

"Haha, can't argue with that."

We walked to Souzai Daigaku.

"I knew it! Stores out here close too soon," he muttered. "I got off work early, so I thought I'd make something, but then I got lazy. What should I do? I have tons of nimono at home..." I was about to answer when an old woman greeted us.

"Why, Tohru-chan!" she said. "How is work? Are you still working hard?"

"Oh…. H-Hi. Yeah, I just got off…" Adachi answered.

"Would you like to come to my house? I'm making your favorite―nimono!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, uh, today? I've… got a…." He glanced at me, and his eyes lit up. "That's right! I promised the girl I'd eat dinner with her. She's my boss' niece, so I can't say no…. Haha, maybe next time."

"That's too bad. Well, next time, then! Good night." The woman walked away.

"She really sucks away my will to live," Adachi sighed. "Can you imagine how awkward dinner would be, just me and her!? I don't really like her nimono, anyway. The lotus root is too tough. Oh, uh, sorry for using you like that. You were a big help."

"Why don't you come over for real?" I asked with a smile.

"At Dojima-san's? Well, isn't that a generous offer," he laughed, looking surprised. "But Dojima-san's still at work, right? Does that mean it'll be just us? Isn't that weird?"

"I'm a good cook." I winked at him. He stepped back and examined me, putting a hand to his chin.

"I mean, you are cute…."

"Adachi-san!" I exclaimed in mock horror. "You like younger girls!?"

"N-No!" He shook his head vigorously as I laughed. "Seriously, though. You're inviting me over? You don't think it'd be awkward?"

"I mean, you come over quite a bit," I replied.

"Well, I am interested to see what you're like as a cook," he said. "When I was in high school, I never gave cook a single thought."

"What did you do instead? Play games or something?"

"I just studied and studied. It was a pretty good school where your grades really mattered. I didn't mind, though. You get back as much as you put in. Everyone knows that. My parents didn't care what else I did as long as my grades were good, too. But that works out when you're a student."

"You don't enjoy yourself now?"

"I dunno. Grown ups have a lot on their plates." He gave me a tired smile. "But I guess lately, things have been fun. It's nice to know there's something I'm good at. Haha, this is embarrassing.

"Oh, we were talking about dinner…. Sorry, not today. Maybe next time," Adachi said. "I'll just stop by someplace on my way back. You make sure you hurry home."

"All right. See ya."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: April 8, 2015**

**Short chapter today. XD**

**Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed! I really can't thank you guys enough for supporting me. :D**

**Well... thanks for reading and please review! *bows***


	65. Adachi Comes Over

**Monday, 6/27 (Morning)**

Morooka was dissing Rise this time. He hates everyone, apparently. Then he made me answer a question out of the blue.

I wanted to go up to him and spit the answer in his face, but I didn't. He probably would've expelled me.

Anyway, I answered the question, and he yelled, "Those with identity would never take a liking to idols like that!"

I sat back down with a heavy sigh.

"I hate King Moron…" I mumbled.

"Doesn't everyone…?" Yosuke sighed.

**(After School)**

Yukiko brought me to the shrine, saying she wanted to pay her respects.

"I come here every so often. It's nice and quiet," she said. "I visit here with the waitresses, too. Like before a big guest arrives. We make our annual hatsumode visits here. The exam charm was here, too. Once I leave this town… I won't be able to come here again, will I?" I stared at her.

"So… you're not gonna come back!?" I exclaimed.

"I mean… I couldn't face my parents again," she said sadly. A woman in a kimono walked up to us.

"Oh, Yuki-chan!" she greeted.

"Kasai-san…. What are you doing here?" Yukiko asked.

"Taking a little break after ordering from the liquor store," the woman (Kasai?) replied, then sighed. "So now you know."

"O-Oh, I won't tell…" Yukiko muttered.

"Just kidding," the woman laughed. "Oh! Is this that rumored boyfriend?" Yukiko's face was priceless.

I stood up, placed an arm around her, and winked at the woman.

"What of it?" I asked jokingly. Yukiko quickly pulled away, her face red.

"Misaki-chan!" she cried, slapping my arm.

"I see…. That hard work in the kitchen paid off, huh?" the woman asked, her smile widening.

"Kasai-san!" Yukiko yelled. "Stop it!"

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I doubled over, laughing my head off.

"Yukiko-san…!" I said. "Your face was priceless!"

"Well, I'll let you two be alone!" Kasai sang, skipping away.

"What was that for!?" Yukiko demanded. I couldn't answer; I could barely breathe.

"You're so easy to tease!" I laughed.

"Misaki-chan!"

"I'm kidding!"

After we calmed down, Yukiko explained, "Kasai-san is teaching me how to cook, along with the other waitresses and chefs. I said I'd learn on my own, but I kept messing up.

"'Please let us teach you,' they said." She giggled. "It's usually the other way around, you know? They use up their break time for my lessons…. They're so nice to me…." She glanced down. "When I was halfway successful one time, everyone gathered around and taste-tested it, saying how good it was…. I didn't know what to say…. I was just happy. Plus I have my friends at school. All things considered, I'm pretty lucky. I want to do my best. For everyone's sake.

"But I'm trying to leave…. Betraying those who've been kind to me," she sighed. "I… can't help that, I suppose…."

_So don't leave…._

**(Evening)**

I asked Dojima about the newspaper article he was reading.

"I found it. Were you worried about it?" he asked. "It's about Chisato… my wife. When she was killed by a hit-and-run….

"I told you before, right? About the case where we never had a suspect? Get it now…? There's nothing more I can say about it in this house. Let's stop there."

"Then let's go outside," I said with a tiny smirk. He chuckled and gave in with a heavy sigh.

"She… was run over on her way to pick up Nanako from nursery school," he muttered. "It was a cold day, and there were no other witnesses, so they didn't find her until much later. Until they got word to me, Nanako was waiting all that time at the nursery. All alone. Waiting for a mother who would never come…." He stopped for a moment, looking away. "I couldn't tell Nanako that her mother was killed. That her father, whose job is to catch criminals… couldn't find a single lead. But I haven't given up. I'll catch the guy. I don't need a private life to do that. Nanako will understand."

"She can't understand everything," I replied. "... That's just an excuse to not be with your family." He bit his lip.

"Sorry…. Leave me alone for now," he sighed. I nodded and stood up. "Misaki…." I glanced at him. Thanks." I gave him a warm smile and went up to my room.

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, 628 (After School)**

I bought some new books and caught some bugs.

I trained with Chie today.

"In the movie I watched the other day, this guy knocked down a tree using only his leg!" she exclaimed. "How does someone kick that hard…? Just practice?"

"No. They probably used machines or something to knock it down as he kicked it, or he just kicked a fake tree," I replied. "Not everything in movies are real, Chie."

"Ch-Chie!" someone cried, running up to us. It was Takeshi.

"Were you robbed again?" Chie asked.

"No…. I took off right after that, right? So I thought I'd apologize," he said.

"Why don't you just be a man and admit you ran away?" Chie asked.

"Were you this anal before?" Takeshi asked. "Tch, if you lose that sunny attitude you won't have anything left."

I walked up to him, slowly raising my fist. Chie quickly grabbed me and shook her head.

"Speaking of which, what's up with Yukiko-san?" he asked. "I saw her with you the other day…. She seemed weirdly cheerful…. She had this funky laugh, y'know?"

"That's how she really is," Chie replied.

"Oh, you've rubbed off on her, huh? I can't believe it…. That's not Yukiko-san…. She was better gloomy," he sighed.

"That is her," I replied. "You just don't know."

"Look. If you get into trouble again, I'll step in and help," Chie offered.

"Oh, uh… thanks," he said.

"So why don't you shut up about Yukiko!?" Chie demanded. "You don't know anything about her! She's a good person, got it!?"

"What the hell!?" he cried. He shook his head and walked away. I glared at him, clenching my fist.

I wish I'd punched him.

"I just remembered…. Way back, I saw Yukiko sitting by the road, holding a dog. I asked her what's up, and she said she ran away from home," Chie recalled. "She'd pick up the dog, but her parents told her she couldn't have a pet, and that she'd have to get rid of it. She looked like she was dead or something…. I tried everything I could think of to make her laugh. And that's how we became friends. From that moment on… I told myself I'd protect Yukiko. But… somewhere along the way, I messed up, and that Shadow popped. After that, I thought I'd try to focus on what's good about me. I swore to quit being nothing but the girl Yukiko can rely on. So… I just tried my best. At finding the culprit and stuff… just generally being more reliable…. That's all.

"... I feel like I missed the point," she said.

"That's the first step," I chuckled.

"You're too kind," she said. "Maybe… half a step? I wonder if there's anyone out there… who can say, 'This is what makes me worthwhile!' I guess everyone's looking for it."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Oh yeah…. That dog Yukiko picked up? It's gotten really fat at my place. Come by and see it sometime! It smells, but it's cute! Maybe I'll walk it over to your house."

"Anytime," I said, winking at her. A few seconds later, she blushed, and I laughed. "Falling for me?"

"What!? What are you saying!?"

**(Evening)**

I invited Adachi over. He hesitantly agreed.

"Big Sis? The potatoes are still hard," Nanako reported. "Today, we're having shoe!"

"You mean stew?" Adachi and I said.

"Yeah, shoe…. Stew!"

"You did it," Adachi said, smiling.

"Do you like stew, Adachi-san?" Nanako asked.

"Kind of," he answered. "I mean… yeah, I do like it. It's been a while since I had some. So do you cook like this all the time, Misaki-chan? I bet Dojima-san tells you all the time what a great help you are!"

"Not really," I replied.

"I knew it. He's probably just embarrassed," he chuckled. "So I heard you were moving back in the spring. I bet Dojima-san is going to cry!" Nanako looked at the table sadly. "Uh, sorry, sorry. That's still a long way away!" She slowly nodded. "Have you ever seen this trick?" He pulled out a 500-yen coin. "Now watch closely."

He closed his fingers around it and shook it up and down. Adachi opened his hand up… and it was gone! Did it go up his sleeve…?

"Here's another one," he said, pulling out another coin. He closed his hand around it like before. "Check your pocket, Misaki-chan." I reached into my pocket and whipped out the coin.

"What?" I said, staring at it in awe. "Did you slip it in somehow…?"

"I'm pretty good with my hands, so it comes easy to me," he said. "Maybe I should've been a magician. Then I wouldn't be in such a―Uh… well…. I guess there's not job like a government job. It's not like I can make a living working with my hands." He shrugged.

"Maybe you can," I laughed.

"That's smelling pretty good," he said. "I think the shoe's about ready."

"Shoe?" I repeated, chuckling.

"It's STEW!" Nanako corrected.

"Shiatsu?" Adachi asked with a smirk.

"SHOE!" she yelled.

"WRONG!" he replied. They went back and forth as I laughed quietly in the background….

Okay, I didn't actually laugh quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and please review! *bows***


	66. Shopping with Ai

**A/N: I'm finally baaaack****. XD Took long enough, right? Sorry! Life got in the way. XP Well, **hopefully** I can get back to my old updating schedule (whaaaat I had a schedule? Yeah, I did…. Kinda). Well… enjoy! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, 629 (Lunchtime)**

I ran into Ai in the hallway.

"Oh, it's you," she said when I greeted her. "You wanna ditch class? Don't worry, we'll be back before the last bell." I figured we'd get in trouble… I wondered if it's worth it to ditch class for a Social Link.

"... Okay," I finally decided.

* * *

><p>She dragged me to Okina.<p>

"Feels so good," Ai exclaimed. "Just knowing everyone else is still stuck at school studying makes it feel great out here."

"... I guess it's okay sometimes…" I mumbled.

"You think so? I'm surprised you're so open-minded. I had you pegged for a mama's girl."

"R-Really?" I looked like that?

"It's not like I do this all the time." I wanted to sigh in relief. "Besides, since they started keeping track of my attendance and behavior record, I've been a good girl. Well, enough small talk. Let's go. We'll start with clothes…." I tuned her out. Then she was looking at me expectantly.

"Yeah, let's go," I said.

* * *

><p>Ai put some sunglasses on me. She studied me for a bit before putting them back and getting another pair. She put them on me and stepped back.<p>

"That fits your complexion," she said with a nod. "You want 'em?"

"Ah… no thanks," I replied, putting them back.

"Suit yourself," she said with a shrug.

* * *

><p>"Wear this," Ai ordered, handing me a sparkling blue dress.<p>

"Wh-What?"

"You heard me." I sighed and went into a changing room.

"Mm… That doesn't look bad on you," she said. "You want it?"

"No, I'm fine…"

"Suit yourself."

* * *

><p>"How does this look?" she asked me.<p>

"Looks great," I muttered absentmindedly, looking at the game store on the other side.

"Hey! You're not even looking at me!" I glanced at Ai without seeing her and gave her a thumbs up. Then, I resumed gazing longingly at the game store.

* * *

><p>After taking forever to select her items, she whipped out a gold card and paid for everything.<p>

"Is that your card?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Are you insinuating that I stole this?" she scoffed. "I might have to beat you up…" _I'd like to see you try._ "Look." She showed me the card. It had her name engraved on it. "My family may not have status or history, but we do have money. My daddy made a fortune in land speculation.

"We'd better get going, though, or we won't make it back before class ends." I nodded in agreement. "Soon as school gets out, I'm number one on the guidance counselor's list. He has to check on my attendance and behavior, and sometimes, he tops it off with a lecture. It's a major pain."

* * *

><p>My arms were hurting from carrying her bags. I only carried about two-thirds of her bags, but there was a ton of stuff loaded in there. What the hell did she buy?<p>

"I'm out here having fun, and all the teachers are totally clueless. How stupid can they be?" Ai scoffed. "You know what, though? I had more fun today than usual." _Maybe cause you had a servant with you…. _"You're different from the others. I like you."

"Thanks…" I replied.

"I think I'll keep you around. But next time, let's go after school," she continued. _Yes, please!_

* * *

><p>… And there's the tarot card.<p>

A moon was inscribed in a black circle. On top of it were a scorpion and two black pillars. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without a Roman numeral at the bottom, which was XVIII.

The Moon Arcana.

* * *

><p>I somehow didn't get in trouble. Probably because I was super lucky.<p>

* * *

><p>I found myself sitting next to Kanji at Aiya.<p>

"Man, I'm starving for some Chinese!" he exclaimed. "But if I eat and then go home, I can't finish Mom's food…. She serves so much you'd think I have five brothers."

"You can eat all that?" I laughed.

"D-Do you think I'm fat or something?" he stammered, his face turning red.

"No," I replied, amused. "It's just amazing how much food you can eat."

"Aren't you Kanji Tatsumi?" someone asked. I turned around to see a man in a business suit glaring at Kanji. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't you tell?" Kanji retorted. "Hey, you're a cop. What do you mean, what am I doing?"

"Just what I said," the officer replied. "There's been quite a commotion around here lately."

"Well maybe if you did your job, things'd get quieter, huh?" Kanji glared at the man.

"Y-You need to fix that attitude…" the officer muttered. I placed a hand on Kanji's shoulder before he could do anything rash.

"Sir, we're just having some Chinese food," I said. "Neither of us are here to cause any trouble."

"Just don't pull anything, got it?" the man ordered.

"I didn't…" Kanji growled.

"Kanji-kun," I muttered as the officer walked out.

"The cops're always like that. Soon as they spot me it's, 'Whaddaya doin'?' 'You look suspicious,' and alla that bullsh*t," Kanji said. "Meh, I'm used to it…. Sorry for gettin' you mixed up in this, Senpai. I really am a trouble maker. For you… and for Mom.

"She's always apologizing for me. She's been sprouting more and more white hairs… She's―"

"Kanji-kun," I interrupted. "It's hard… but you just need to change."

"Y-Yeah, huh?" He nodded. "Filial piety, right? I don't know what to do…. Or so I thought. I'm gonna use this power I got to make this town peaceful! I've been causing nothing but trouble, but I can finally return the favor. So let's get to it, Senpai!"

"Well, let's eat first," I laughed.

"Hey Chief, the food ready yet?"

"You ordered something, Kan-chan?" the owner asked.

"I told you not to call me Kan-chan! And I did order: liver-liik stir fry and pot stickers! Tch! I'm gonna tear your store apart so fast you won't have time for file for insurance!" Kanji yelled. "Oh, uh, well…. I'm gonna tear it apart and rebuild it twice as good! I-I'm gonna RENOVATE your ass!"

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I started laughing like a maniac.

"Sounds good to me," the owner said, unfazed.


	67. Going to the Hospital

**Thursday, 6/30 (After School)**

"Y-Your mom wants to see me?" I asked. Kanji nodded sheepishly.

"Hey Ma, I'm home," Kanji called when we arrived in front of his house. "She ain't here. What's she doin' leaving the store open?"

"Kan-chan! There you are!" the Aiya owner cried. "Your mother's in the hospital!"

"The hospital…?" Kanji repeated.

"Let's hurry," I said, pulling on his arm.

* * *

><p>We arrived in the hospital, and I was totally winded. You'd think I can run fairly well after traversing the dungeons… but apparently not.<p>

A nurse came up to us. She….

"S-Sayoko-san!?" I exclaimed.

"Hey," she greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"My ma―" Kanji began.

"Ah, I've heard an old woman came here today…" I interrupted as casually as possible. "You know where she is?"

"Of course I do," Sayoko replied. She directed us towards a wing. I nodded my thanks and dragged Kanji away.

* * *

><p>"Ma!" Kanji exclaimed when an elderly woman dressed in a green kimono walked up to us. "You all right!? You were taken to the hospital!? Someone do this to you!?"<p>

"Goodness, you look pale," she said.

"Never mind me! What about you!?" he yelled, then paused after studying his mother. "Huh?"

"She looks fine to me," I said.

"You're okay?" he asked.

"I wasn't taken to the hospital. I took someone," she explained. She gestured to a boy behind her. "The poor thing got hit by a bicycle right in front of our shop. He hit his head, so I had a doctor examine him. He said there's no damage. Thank goodness. The one who hit him was a boy from your school. When he saw the poor child fall, he ran away. Why don't you find him and give him a little scolding?"

"Cut the crap!" Kanji shouted. "You've got no idea how I felt!"

"I'm fine," his mother laughed. "Your mother isn't kicking the bucket that easily. It's not like you to get so worried over such a little thing."

"Shut up, you old cow!" he yelled, running off.

"K-Kanji-kun!" I cried. "Ah, sorry, ma'am." I chased after him.

* * *

><p>"Sorry. Looks like it was no big deal," Kanji sighed.<p>

"Ah it's all right," I replied. "At least she's okay."

"Well, yeah, but…. I thought I faced alla my bad parts back there…. But not everything can change just like that, huh?"

"Well, I told you it can be hard to change."

"Oh, uh… sorry for dragging you around," he apologized.

"It's fine." I smiled.

"If I'd been by myself, I mighta been even more scared…. Hah. Hope I can repay the favor." And then he ran off.

"That boy…" someone said. I turned around to see his mother. "We were both going home…. He didn't have to run away like that. Oh…. You're Misaki-chan? You came to our store with Yuki-chan, right? I've been hearing a lot about you from Kanji."

"Y-You did?"

"'Senpai this' and 'Senpai that'... He must really like you."

_What does she mean by that?_

"I'm sorry to have made you both come all the way here. He hates hospitals, you see…" she continued. "His father… died here. Kanji happened to be somewhere else when he collapsed. So I think he was scared today."

"... I see."

"But it's good to see you," she chuckled. "He's always had trouble getting along with people. He didn't have any friends like you before."

"Because of his attitude…?"

"That's part of it. He's become clumsy, inarticulate… and cowardly."

"Cowardly?" I repeated. That was definitely not the word I would think of when thinking of Kanji.

"He would always rather play house instead of catch, or go to home economics instead of P.E.," she explained. "So he never had any male friends, but the girls didn't accept him either. After a while, he started getting into fights every day and bleaching his hair. I was worried about him..., But lately, he seems to be having fun. Please take care of him."

"Will do," I laughed.

**(Evening)**

I worked at the hospital tonight. I was just about done with my shift when Sayoko sauntered up to me.

"Nice work…. Were you waiting here for me?" she asked.

"Uh… n―"

"Oh, you sweet thing. Well, then," she interrupted. "Would you like to study with me? Perhaps a subject that they don't teach in school, if you catch my drift…?"

"Um… no, I don't…" I replied uncertainly.

"Oho…. You're an honest girl. That's cute. That's probably why you were with that boy today, right?"

"Wh-What?" I stammered. "He's just a friend."

"A… 'friend'? Honestly, you can just admit it. He has quite the biceps…. And his white hair is so exotic!"

"S-Sayoko-san…"

"He certainly does look like a cool guy, doesn't he?"

"Sayoko-san…!" I protested as she laughed.

"The kids over here are much simpler," Sayoko sighed. "All they see is the carrot dangling in front of their faces…. You're…. I know. You seem to have some sort of secret deep inside you…. I think it's irresistible."

"I-Irresistable?" I repeated.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I dunno what to say... so I'll just say this:**

**Thank you guys so much for following and favoriting! :D It means a lot to me.**

**Well, thanks for reading and please review! *bows***


	68. Mr Kanji

**Friday, 7/1 (After School)**

I reported to the fox about the ema. As usual, it ran around me a few times in happiness and checked the offertory box. I peered in with it.

"Looks like there're more offerings," I said, patting the fox's head.

**(Evening)**

"Hey, Big Sis! It's almost Tanabata, so I set up some bamboo to use later," Nanako greeted.

"Oh, okay," I replied, walking up to the bamboo.

A card on it read, "I hope Dad won't get hurt."

After some thought, I wrote, "I want to play with Nanako more," on a card and placed it on the bamboo.

* * *

><p>Marie's not here… again. I picked up the note on the floor.<p>

"_You Killed Me"_

_You are a murderer._

_By your silent smile, by your composed voice,_

_By your dark eyes, by your bashful fingers_

_I am slain._

_I am a corpse._

_Foolish, wretched, happy._

_Surely, I'll simply rot away…_

_My last words…_

_Adieu, au revoir… mon cheri._

As usual, Marie swiped it out of my hand.

"Stop reading them!" she cried. "If you keep doing that, your eyes are gonna rot out! They'll rot away and you'll be sorry you read my stuff! Ihateyouyousuckmurderer. Stop reading!" She mumbled to herself as she sat down.

**Saturday, 7/2 (After School)**

"God, please give me some friends," the ema read. I accepted it, and went searching for the person who wrote the ema request.

* * *

><p>I found a boy standing by a sign by himself in the Samegawa flood plain.<p>

"I-I don't have any money!" he cried when I greeted him.

"No, I'm not here for your money," I replied gently.

"Oh…. Then you're done here, right?" he said. "I don't have any friends. So nobody ever wants to talk to me…. Everyone talks about things I don't know about. Right now, they're all collecting stickers. I have a sticker, too, but they all said that everyone has that one…. If I had a rare sticker, I bet they'd become my friends." _Just over a sticker…? He needs better people in his life…._

"Here, have this," I said, handing him one of Prize Stickers I had. The boy thanked me and ran off.

* * *

><p>Kanji and I went to the hill overlooking town.<p>

"I've always liked this place," he said. "Being able to see my house and school and everything from up here…. It makes me feel small." I nodded in agreement. "Uh…. When you met Ma at the hospital…. She say anything about me?"

"Lots of stuff," I laughed.

"That's what I thought," he sighed with an embarrassed smile. "Well, you already know everything about me. I got nothin' to hide. Wish I could quit being afraid of hospitals. I gotta get stronger…." Suddenly, I saw someone familiar.

"Kanji… isn't it that boy from the hospital?" I asked. Kanji nodded and sat next to the boy.

"Yo kid, what're you doin' here by yourself?" he asked.

"... Nothing," the boy answered quietly.

"Then how come you look like you're gonna cry?" Kanji said.

"I… lost a doll. I lost the knit rabbit doll that Sana-chan let me borrow…" the boy cried. "Taka-kun said it was girly and stomped on it…." Kanji and I glanced at each other. "It got all dirty…. And he said, 'If you're a man, then throw it away….' I threw the doll in the river… and it got washed away." Then he broke into tears. "What should I do!? I hafta give it back to Sana-chan…. She liked that bunny… and I… I…."

"So why are you here? You ran away?" Kanji asked. The boy nodded. "Ya dumb kid!" The boy sobbed more loudly.

"Let's go find the doll," I said, grabbing the boy's arm.

"C'mon! Don't just stand there!" the older boy shouted. We nodded to each other, and he ran down the hill.

"Let's hurry," I said to the young boy. "We don't want to be left too far behind."

* * *

><p>We arrived at the river. Kanji had already waded in before we got there. The boy offered to help.<p>

"Stay where you are so you don't get in the way!" Kanji ordered. "Senpai, make sure he doesn't come in after me!" I nodded and looked along the riverbank.

We couldn't find it.

"I'm going to apologize to Sana-chan. Even if she's made, I'll say I'm sorry…" the boy sighed.

"... What kind of rabbit was it?" Kanji said. "Just tell me!" The boy described the rabbit in detail. "Okay. You apologize to this 'Sana-chan.' You're the one who 'threw it away.' It might not be the same, but I'll get you a new one…. So let it go with that."

"Mister…."

"Who you callin' mister!?" The boy ran off. "Geez…. I'm still in high school. This's the prime of my youth!"

"You sound like Yosuke," I chuckled. He scoffed.

"Do I really look that old? Maybe it's the eyebrows…."

"Or your hair," I smirked.

"Anyways, sorry 'bout dragging you into this," he said.

"Are you making one for him?"

"Of course you got it all figured out…" he mumbled, his face turning a bit red. "It was like I understood how he felt. Wanting to be accepted, afraid of being left out, doing stuff that you shouldn't…. Then taking the one person you shouldn't make cry and making 'em bawl…. So…. Y'know, I thought maybe I could help him. Was I going too easy on him?"

"Well… I don't think so," I replied as he sneezed. "You dumbass… going into the river like that…. Go home." I pushed him lightly.

**(Evening)**

"Don't tell Dad, but…" Nanako said after I convinced her to tell me what's wrong. She looked like she was about to cry.

"I swear I won't tell," I said.

"They handed this out a school." She handed me a piece of paper. "They said to give it to your parents…" It read, "Parent Survey Regarding Scheduling Of Parent-Teacher Interviews." "They said to have our parents write down when they can visit the school…. But Dad's always working, so…. He can't come, huh?"

"I'll go ask him with you," I said with a smile. "I'm sure he'll come, though."

"Really? Thanks, big sis! I'll give this to Dad. I'll ask him to come…."

"With me," I finished.

"I'm glad I asked you! He'll come, right?"

"Of course!" _Hopefully._

"... Since he's my 'real' Dad. Big sis, did you have 'Parent-Teacher interviews' too? Were you nervous?"

"Of course I was!" I laughed.

**Sunday, 7/3 (Daytime)**

The avid reader in front of the bookstore asked me to get some hard boots… for some reason. I agreed and went toDaidara's to get some. Then I went back and gave the boots to the reader. He gave me a book and 5000 yen.

* * *

><p>"Oh, you're the one who gave me the prize sticker…" the boy said when I went to check up on him. "I showed it to them, but they said a grown-up sticker didn't count…. Here, you can have it back." He handed me the sticker. "Where am I supposed to find a rare kid's sticker? I don't know any…."<p>

"Well, lemme ask my cousin for some advice on where to get one, okay?" I said.

* * *

><p>I went to Junes with Yosuke for a quick bite to eat.<p>

"Hey, Hanamura!" the gaudy girl yelled. I clenched my fist, and Yosuke sighed.

"What is it today?" he replied.

"How come Kazumi can take the day off and we can't?" the girl demanded. Yosuke looked confused. "We told you before! We can't work Saturdays! So when we refused, they said they were going to fire us! I don't get this!"

"I talked to the manager…" Yosuke began. "Senpai…. Have you two been taking absences without leave lately?"

"I-I just forgot to come…. Besides, that's not the point! What're you going to do about this!? I have a date that day!"

"You can just reschedule the date…" I muttered. "And besides, if you 'forget' to come often, then maybe you deserve to be fired."

"What did you say…?" she said, glaring at me.

"You heard me," I retorted.

"Hanamura, how come you're favoring Kazumi!?" the snooty one yelled. "You were like that with Saki, too!"

"Don't try to hide it! We all know! You liked Saki and treated her special!" the gaudy one added after giving me the stinkeye.

"I don't think Saki-senpai has anything to do with this subject," he murmured.

"Yeah, it does! You told the other workers to take it easy on Saki too, didn't you!? You think you can do anything just because you're the manager's son!?" the gaudy girl shouted.

"So it's Kazumi now that Saki's dead!? Don't even bother, she has a boyfriend," the friend scoffed. "Didn't you get it!? Saki didn't like you!" I stood up as she was badmouthing Saki.

"Why don't you shut up for once?" I said, glaring at them.

"Misaki…" Yosuke muttered.

"You shut up!" the snooty girl replied.

"You're the ones who should shut up!" Yosuke yelled, standing up and knocking his chair down. "What do you know about Saki-senpai!? She didn't do things half-assed like you! She looked lazy, but she worked hard! She talked bad, but she was good inside! So she hated me? I knew that! She's not here anymore! I'm left behind!" He sighed. "Just leave me alone."

"What the heck?" one of the girls asked.

"Why don't you leave like he asked you to?" I suggested with a scowl. They left.

"I just blurted out a buncha crap, huh?" I shrugged.

"You feel better now?"

"No… I'm more confused than ever." He smirked. "Another pathetic display from Yosuke, huh? Thanks, though. Hearing you say that stuff to them…. It made me happy." He smiled at me.

"No problem, man," I said, returning a smile.

"I don't want to…. I really don't want to, but I'll go talk with Dad…. At this rate, those two are gonna quit…. I should tell him and apologize. I don't know…. What do I want to do? I don't get it… even though it's my own future."

"You'll find out." He nodded absentmindedly.

"I'll see you later."

**(Evening)**

I asked Nanako about the stickers. She got a Tankiriman Sticker and gave it to me. I nodded my thanks and headed upstairs.


	69. Yosuke Cries

**A/N: Whaaaaat!? I actually uploaded? Whaaaat?**

**Psh, finally, right?**

**I was gone because blah blah blah blah *gags*.**

**Okay, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, 74 (After School)**

I gave the boy the sticker I got from Nanako, and he ran off. Hopefully it's enough.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Misaki," someone said. I turned around to see Yosuke. He looked tormented.<p>

"Yosuke? What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"Can I… talk to you for a minute?" he said, his eyes pleading. I quickly nodded, and he led me down to the river.

* * *

><p>He took something out of his pocket and clutched it tightly, tears brimming in his eyes.<p>

"... I found this. It's a Print Club sticker I took with Saki-senpai…" he explained solemnly. "When I first got here, she insisted on taking it…. Back then… somewhere inside me, I thought I was above this place. A lot of people saw me as the enemy because Junes was going to ruin the shopping district. But… when I met her, she told me, 'Parents are parents. You're you…' Even if she didn't really mean it… it made me happy. Because of her… I started to think maybe this town wasn't all that bad. But then…." He clenched his eyes shut.

I was at a loss. What was I supposed to do now?

I walked up to him and placed a hand on Yosuke's shoulder.

"Why…?" he sobbed. "Why did she… have to… die…? It pisses me off…. It makes me mad! I wanted to talk with her more! I wanted to get to know her better! But… she's not here anymore."

"It's okay…" I murmured, patting his back. What else could I do?

"Misaki… I get it now…. I wanted to forget about Saki-senpai. How she's not here anymore. I wanted to forget that…. I was living a boring life in the middle of nowhere. When the murders started, I got excited. I thought there was finally a point to me being in Inaba. I thought I could forget Senpai was gone… and the fact that I was such a loser. I jumped at the murders and never once thought about what I was doing. I… didn't even take the first step…. I'm sorry… Saki-senpai. I'm sorry… Misaki."

"Shut up. Don't apologize."

"But… I got you involved with the case, and all I did was run away from myself…." He let out a ragged sigh. "But I think I'm awake now…. I need to get over the fact that Saki-senpai isn't coming back. That when this case ends… I'll have nowhere to run. And I won't have changed." Yosuke paused and looked at me with bright red eyes. "You made me realize that."

I patted his back with a smile. "Me? It's probably just you."

* * *

><p><strong>(Evening)<strong>

I was taking a walk around town when I spotted Adachi. I wanted to relax for a bit after what happened with Yosuke. Hopefully Adachi doesn't see me―

"Hey, you're still here?" he called. _Dang it!_ "You still want me to tutor you?"

"Uh… sure…" I answered. I didn't want to appear rude.

* * *

><p>Nanako, Adachi, and I were sitting at the table in front of the TV. I was doing my math homework.<p>

"You guys studying?" Adachi asked, glancing over my homework. He immediately recoiled. "Wait, no, I don't even want to look at yours. Too complicated-looking. Though maybe I could help with Nanako-chan's."

"Really!? You would? I have some homework! A book review!" Nanako exclaimed brightly.

"Oh, those," Adachi said dismissively. "They're really easy if you know what to do. You don't have to read the whole thing. Just read the notes in the back and then summarize those."

"But my teacher said, read it, and write what you think," Nanako said.

"Don't worry about that. We have to be efficient here," he replied.

"C'mon, Adachi-san," I piped up. "The whole point is to enjoy the book."

"Don't be so uptight, Misaki-chan," Adachi groaned jokingly.

"You gotta enjoy the book, man," I protested with a smirk. "Sure, doing it your way is efficient, but you won't learn anything new. Maybe you'll get a new insight into life."

"He reached over and pretended to put his hands over my mouth from across the table.

"Sh-sh-sshhh," he shushed. "Life's too short to do that."

"Hey, maybe that's why it's worth reading things," I laughed. He scoffed and turned to Nanako.

"Come on, Nanako-chan. Bring your book," he said. She took it out of her bag.

"It wasn't a review!" she said. "I just have to read it. And then get a mark from a grown-up saying I did."

"That's easy enough," Adachi said with a nod. "Though… a mark? Dojima-san's going to be late today."

"Will you give me one, Adachi-san?" Nanako asked.

"Me? Okay. If you're good, I'll draw you a big flower," he answered with a smile. Nanako read the story aloud.

It was about a pink alligator who was then forgotten

"Oh, you're done?" Adachi said.

"Do I get a big flower?" Nanako asked, her eyes shining. He nodded and drew a large, round flower.

"What about you?" he offered me with a smirk. "Don't you have anything you want me to draw a flower on?" I quickly drew a sketch of Adachi with a crazy mustache and large glasses and handed it to him.

"I want you to mark this," I said with a large, innocent smile. He took it and glanced at it. Then he pretended to glare at me and handed it back.

"I don't want to mark this," he said with a mock scowl.

"Aw, why not?" I asked.

"It's not good to deface such a handsome man."

"Let me see!" Nanako cried, grabbing the paper. She started laughing, and Adachi and I joined in soon after.

"I thought you were mature, Misaki-chan!"

"Hey, you gotta have fun sometimes," I replied.

"Well… if anything happens don't hesitate to tell a grown-up," he said more seriously.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Man, I'm tired," he sighed. "That old lady brought me some photos of potential matches. She kept insisting I see these girls because they're 'nice,' and I had to do overtime because of it. Like I'll ever get married."

"You don't want to get married?" Nanako asked.

"Marriage is where fun goes to die," Adachi answered. "You'll understand in about twenty years, Nanako-chan. Come to think of it, Dojima-san will be father-in-law to whoever Nanako-chan decides to marry. Eeesh. That's certainly going to put a damper on her chances."

"What?" I said.

"There's just no way. Sorry, Nanako-chan," he said.

"Hey, you don't know that," I replied.

"I don't wanna get married, either!" Nanako cried. "I don't like people with holes in their socks!"

"I don't have holes in my socks!" Adachi protested.

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, 75 (After School)**

The lonely boy told me that the sticker I gave him wasn't very unique anymore, but he did make friends, which was good. I was happy for him.

* * *

><p>Naoki and I went to Aiya.<p>

"I usually eat here a lot because it's so close to our place, but for some reason, I haven't eaten here recently," Naoki explained.

"Tired of the food here?" I joked.

"Nah. I've been coming here since I was a kid, but for some reason I've never really gotten tired of it." He slurped some noodles. "The liquor store is pretty busy, but… I can't do much to help. I mean, it's not our business that's busy." He shook his head. "Most of the media has stopped coming around, but if there's nothing new to report on, they'll pop up."

"That's kinda stupid," I sighed. He nodded.

"Lately, the neighbors have been coming one after the other… 'Poor thing,' they'll sob," he sighed. "They all tell me, 'You need to live an admirable life for your sister's sake." He scowled. "It's suffocating. I mean…. What is an 'admirable life,' anyway?"

"I don't know," I shrugged.

"So you're looking for the answer, too? Living is hard, huh? Even though we're already going through it… it's like we're still learning how."

"I guess we learn as we go. Life is too abstract of a concept to get down on the spot."

"Sorry. I just seem to talk about odd things when I'm around you."

"It's fine. I don't usually get to talk about things like this anyway, so it's kinda nice."

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, 76 (After School)**

Ai dragged me out to Croco Fur.

"I feel like getting something that's easy to slip into," she mused, looking around the store. "Doesn't look like they have anything new…."

"Guess we'll have to come back later," I said.

"I'll get something next time, but I want something today, too," she replied. "I came here to buy, not to look." She walked around for a bit, then looked at me. "Hey, I'm thirsty. Buy me an ice latte."

"H-Huh!?" I exclaimed. "Buy it yourself. You've got money, right?"

"What? You're probably the first person who's ever taken that tone with me."

A saleswoman started to talk to Ai. Exasperated, she dragged me out of the store. I gladly let her.

"I hate salespeople," she sighed. "I'm the one keeping them in business, why do they have to pounce on me every time I go in there?"

"I guess it's their job to be helpful." I shrugged.

"They should get rid of all salespeople and put it in vending machines. Press a button, and out come our clothes."

"Well, depends on how people go shopping," I mused.

"Well, I don't like pointless banter. I can see right through it…. There's no such thing as a relationship without ulterior motives." She sighed. "I don't know why, but I got a little annoyed when she was talking about you there. She said you're cute. Good for you." She glanced away. _Don't tell me…. Is she jealous!?_ "Let's go home. It'll be dark by the time we get back. Not like I have any reason to hurry…."

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, 76 (After School)**

Yukiko and I went to the shrine and were chatting when a man came up to us.

"The people at the inn seemed very busy. Is something going on?" the man Yukiko addressed as deputy mayor questioned.

"Oh no! Today was the interview for the travel show!" Yukiko exclaimed. The mayor didn't seem to catch the horror in her voice. "Sorry, Misaki-chan! I have to go."

"On TV?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"We requested that no employees will be filmed or shown," she explained. "It seems like a serious travel show, so everyone's eager to help. But they need me to help clean, so I have to go now. Goodb―"

"There you are, Yuki-chan!" Kasai called urgently, briskly walking up to us. "That TV crew came, but don't come to the inn! It was a trick! It's those people from the 'news of the weird' show!"

"What?" Yukiko and I cried at the same time.

"I think they're looking for you, so stay put!" Kasai continued.

"There you are," a man drawled, appearing behind Kasai. "No use in hiding, future manager of the cursed inn."

"Cursed inn?" I muttered under my breath.

"We know all about that murder case. Mayumi Yamano stayed at your place, right?" the man smirked. He rambled on and on about his "great" idea.

"Hey, man," I interrupted, stepping closer to him. "No one wants to be a part of your coverage." He glanced at Yukiko, and she nodded.

"You're refusing? Look, kid," he said. "You don't know the power of television, do you? Well, I can't blame you, living in the countryside. We're trying to help you out here. I mean, do you WANT the patrons to dry up? If you're gonna be the next manager, I'm trusting you to make the right decision here."

"I… won't be… the next manager," Yukiko muttered.

"Is that so?" he smirked. "Well, you say the word, and I can hook you up with a better gig than running this dump of an inn."

"Then why do you want to cover it if it's a 'dump'?" I asked. "It's not worth covering a dump, is it?" He glared at me through his shades.

"It's okay. Let him say what he wants. He'll go home once he gets it all out," Yukiko said. I backed off.

"What?" he growled. "You say your inn has been going for generations, but all that means is, it's crappy and run-down. Tradition is so last year. You'd be better off if you did close up shop." He ranted about how bad the inn was. Each thing he listed off made me want to punch him in the nuts more and more.

"Shut the hell up!" Yukiko yelled. "Don't say another word about our inn! Who'd take your stupid ideas seriously!? From now on, we refuse ANY coverage from your station!" I watched her proudly.

"Why you…! If that's how you wanna play it, I'll plaster those words all over prime time! See how that feels!"

"Go ahead. And we'll respond with an official complaint to your sponsors," she replied. The reporters glanced around nervously.

The leader tsked angrily and left, his followers trailing him.

"I said some incredible things…" Yukiko sighed.

"That was amazing," I laughed. The other two joined in.

Kasai left to report to the inn.

"I just lost it when he was insulting everyone. W-Was I scary?"

"It was perfect!"

"R-Really? Thank goodness…. There was a time not long ago when I thought, 'It'd be better off if it closed,' but it's like my home…. It's where everyone in my world is…. I can't let it close." I smiled.

"Of course not. I wouldn't have let you anyway."

* * *

><p><strong>(Evening)<strong>

I worked at the hospital today. As usual, there was that creepy sound. With a sigh, I moved on to cleaning the next window.

I glanced around, looking for any other windows to clean when I spotted an old lady wearing completely black clothing.

W-Was she there before!? If she was, then I need to start working on noticing things….

"Forgive me…" she said. Was she talking to me? I opened my mouth to speak, but she was already walking away. I decided not to bother her.

* * *

><p>Sayoko brought me to an empty room.<p>

"Well done," she told me with a nod. "You could just slack off and do a half-assed job, but you really do work your cute little butt off, don't you? So why are you working at a job like this?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I guess I needed the money, mostly. But it's pretty cool to work here too."

"You're… different," she said. "But still, a young child shouldn't be wasting time wiping windows at the hospital. I'm sure here are boys who would cry if they saw you doing menial chores like this. Speaking of which… Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No…" I answered uncertainly.

"Mm…. Hard to believe, coming from such a cute girl like you," she said with a smirk.

"W-What?" She sighed.

"High schoolers are so young. They're only ten years younger, but they seem so far away. It's like they're glittering…. I feel this… envy? Maybe that's why…." She fell silent. "I just want to see them get screwed over by life."

"That's nice…" I muttered, and she chuckled.

"That was a joke, of course."

"Mmhmm," I replied sarcastically.

"Half of it was, anyway."

"Do you see what I'm getting at?" She moved up to me and brought her hand up. I quickly stepped back.

"W-What are you doing?" She laughed, her hand dropping to her side.

"I have to go now. I have a lot of work piling up." I held in a sigh of relief. "But I can't help myself…. It's cause you're just so cute."

"A-Ah… thanks, Sayoko-san…."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay... so... I know how much you guys ship Yosuke x Misaki. I think you guys'll like this bonus.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>(Yosuke Social Link Level 8 Bonus)<strong>

"Oh, Misaki," someone said. I turned around to see Yosuke. He looked tormented.

"Yosuke? What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"Can I… talk to you for a minute?" he said, his eyes pleading. I quickly nodded, and he led me down to the river.

He took something out of his pocket and clutched it tightly, tears brimming in his eyes.

"... I found this. It's a Print Club sticker I took with Saki-senpai…" he explained solemnly. "When I first got here, she insisted on taking it…. Back then… somewhere inside me, I thought I was above this place. A lot of people saw me as the enemy because Junes was going to ruin the shopping district. But… when I met her, she told me, 'Parents are parents. You're you…' Even if she didn't really mean it… it made me happy. Because of her… I started to think maybe this town wasn't all that bad. But then…." He clenched his eyes shut.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, Yosuke felt someone's arms wrap around him. Was it… Misaki's? It was warm and comforting….<p>

"Why…? Why did she… have to… die?" he cried. She pulled him in more. He felt her head rest on his shoulder. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face. "It pisses me off…. It makes me mad! I wanted to talk with her more! I wanted to get to know her better!" He fell to his knees and clutched Misaki's shirt. "But… she's not here anymore."

She knelt down and embraced him again.

Yosuke didn't know what to think. He was in pain and comfort at the same time.

His mind was spinning, and Misaki wasn't helping. All he could focus on were her warm arms, her calm, even breathing, her silky hair….

They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity as he tried to collect his scattered thoughts.

To be honest… he didn't mind if it did last an eternity.

"I wanted to forget about Saki-senpai. How she's not here anymore…" he finally said. "I wanted to forget that… I was living a boring life in the middle of nowhere. When the murders started, I got excited. I thought there was finally a point to me being in Inaba. I thought I could forget Senpai was gone… and the fact that I was such a loser…. I jumped at the murders and never once thought about what I was doing. I… didn't even take the first step…. I'm sorry… Saki-senpai. I'm sorry… Misaki."

"Don't apologize," she murmured. Her voice was so soothing.

"But… I got you involved with the case, and all I did was run away from myself…." He looked up into her surprisingly placid blue eyes. "But I think I'm awake now…. I need to get over the fact that Saki-senpai isn't coming back…."

"Yeah…" Misaki muttered.

"... There's a better girl in front of me anyway," Yosuke blurted. Her eyes widened, and Yosuke was instantly filled with regret. What was he thinking?

Misaki cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Well…. I'm sure Saki-senpai didn't hate you," she said. "I think, deep down, Saki-senpai wanted the same thing…. And I do too." His eyes widened.

"Misaki…." He smiled. "Thanks. I'll need you with me… when the case ends, and when I have nowhere left to run…."

Then Yosuke impulsively hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around him.

He could stay like this forever.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So did you guys like the bonus? I had my Beta Shiiftie read it, and he said it was good... which is why I decided to publish it XD.**

**Maybe there'll be more to come... And maybe with other guys too... XD**

**Anyway, the second two days (7/5 and 7/6) felt so boring to me, but I didn't know how to make it better or anything, so you guys were stuck with that.**

**Well, hope you enjoyed it anyway! *bows***


	70. Teddie Comes to Our World

**Friday, 7/8 (After School) **

I visited the fox today.

**(Evening)**

I went to the hospital and was starting to clean the windows when I noticed the old lady again, wearing the same outfit as before.

She slowly walked towards me, her cane echoing through the halls each time it touched the ground.

"Good evening…" she greeted. "I'm sorry about what happened last time, when I was staring at your face. You just… looked like someone I knew." She gave me a gentle smile. "Do you work here?" I nodded. "Is that so. That's wonderful…. I have a granddaughter about your age…. She went back home today, though…. Thinking about it… meeting you here is a wonder. But I won't be coming back here anymore…."

"Mm…. Then why were you here?" I asked cautiously, and she chuckled.

"This isn't a big town; we might run into each other eventually."

"That… didn't answer my question."

"I like to take in the sun at the riverbank when I have days off." _Again, she ignores me!_ "The river sparkles so beautifully…. It all feels so good, it saddens me." _Nostalgia, maybe? She looks like she's mourning so… remembering someone she's lost?_

Thousands of thoughts sped through my mind.

"I'll be going now." She slowly walked past me.

"Oh…. Bye…."

Sayoko came around the corner.

"Oh, here you are. Talk about timing!" she said. "That room over there needs some work done in it. Perhaps you could…?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, everything's back in order," she sighed after we finished tidying the room up. "The patient who had been in this room left just a little while ago. I want you to mop the floor. Don't ask what happened here."<p>

"Okay?" I answered uncertainly, bringing out the mop.

"I was just kidding," she chuckled. "The patient who was here was released today. He returned right from the brink of death!"

"That's good," I said with a smile.

"He was a good patient, who always listened to what I said. Plus, he was the president of his company at a young age. He was handsome, didn't complain, and independent. He wanted to get back to his work… desperately. And, thanks to his perseverance, he was able to leave even earlier than we had scheduled to release him.

"'Thank you for caring for me,' he said, bowing to me so happily…. Then he turned around and walked out." She frowned. "He said such stupid things, like that he loved me. Everyone leaves. They only need me when they're my patients…. In the end, they all leave me." I didn't say anything as I cleaned, and awkward silence filled the room. "I must not have been making sense. Forget about what I was saying. I'll ask another janitor to handle this room. You go on home. The streets are dark. You shouldn't be here. You wouldn't want to get caught… by me." She gave me a smile.

* * *

><p>I lay in my bed. I couldn't sleep.<p>

"They only need me when they're my patients." Those words kept playing in my mind for some reason.

Suddenly, I remembered a scene from back when I was in America.

* * *

><p><em>I walked up to my group of friends and sat down at the table.<em>

"_Hey," I greeted. No one looked in my direction. With a shrug, I brought out a book and began to read it._

_After a little while, a friend tapped on my shoulder. I glanced up._

_Everyone else was gone. It was only him left… the guy who claimed to be my best friend._

"_What're you reading?" he asked, leaning over to read the book._

"_Something," I answered with a smirk. I was used to being ignored, but it was still nice to have someone to talk to._

"_You're always reading," he laughed, and I shrugged. "Why's that?" I didn't have the heart to tell him how I felt being in this group, so I simply shrugged again. "Aw, c'mon! Aren't we best friends?" There it was again…. "Best friends."_

"_It's nothing, really," I assured him with a light-hearted smile. It was so easy to fake it._

_He shrugged and said with an excited smile, "I made a new deck."_

"_Oh?"_

"_Yeah. Light and nature."_

"_Light and nature?" I repeated, confused. I didn't know the card game as well as he did._

"_I can directly attack the opponent and gain health," he explained. "And I can put out a ton of cheap creatures too." I nodded. "But I still lost to my brother." He let out a sigh. "He's got a deck like mine, but he has more life steal."_

"_You always talk about your brother."_

"_Haha…. Yeah, well―"_

"_Hey, Noel!" someone else called. "Did you hear about the tournament results?"_

"_Yeah. He got really close! If only he had one more..."_

_He completely ignored me after that… as usual._

* * *

><p>What a great best friend, <em>I thought bitterly.<em>

_And now I'm so popular all of a sudden._ I began to laugh. _How ironic! A nobody getting a bunch of friends! When did the world get turned upside down?_

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, 79 (After School)**

The fox handed me an ema.

"I have nothing to live for. I want to recapture the joy of life." I gave back the ema and nodded, and the fox ran off with it.

* * *

><p>I went fishing today, since I had nothing else to do.<p>

I let my thoughts wander as I stared into the water.

Suddenly, my fishing rod started moving, snapping me back to reality.

I stood up and pulled on the fishing pole. The fish on the other end of the line was putting up a good fight.

With a grunt, I finally pulled up the fish. It was an Inaba Trout. Wasn't this what Daidara wanted?

I tossed it into a bucket and continued to fish.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, 710 (Daytime)**

I ran as fast as I could to Junes after I heard that someone died.

"Yosuke went over to check out the scene. He should be back soon…" Chie reported as he came back.

"It was murder all right," Yosuke panted. "The body was hanging upside down on an apartment's rooftop railing. The victim this time… was King Moron." We all stared at him in disbelief.

"What on earth's going on here!?" Chie cried.

"I talked to a guy who saw it!" Yosuke continued. "It's true…. There's no mistake.."

"Gotta be sh*tting me…. Ain't the killer targeting people who get shown on TV? I ain't ever seen King Moron on the Midnight Channel, or any other programs!" I nodded in agreement.

"Why did this happen?" Yosuke muttered.

"I thought we finally figured some things out…. Were they all just a big coincidence?" Chie asked.

"Maybe the Midnight Channel doesn't have anything to do with this…" Yukiko said.

"We came so far, and now we're back to square one!" Yosuke yelled. "Were we in over our heads, trying to catch a culprit that even the police couldn't find?"

"Hey, it's too early to know for sure," I replied.

"Damn straight!" Kanji agreed. "We started this thing 'cause the police can't tell their asses from their elbows. We give up now, and that sh*thead's gonna be on the loose forever. This ain't the time for bitching and moaning…. We just gotta keep on keepin' on."

"Big talk from someone like you, Kanji," Yosuke teased. "I know…. We're dealing with a murderer here. But we've risked our lives to get this far…. No way we'll back down. And we promised the bear, too…."

"Hey, that's right! Maybe Teddie knows something about this!" Chie suggested.

* * *

><p>Well, too bad the staff was here. Yosuke went up to talk to them, and they said someone named Terry or Eddie was in some kind of costume.<p>

"Woah! H-He's here!" Chie cried. We all glanced around and saw the one and only Teddie lounging on a massage chair.

"Teddie!" I said.

"It took you guys long enough! I've been waiting," Teddie said.

"Are you okay on this side!?" Yukiko asked worriedly.

"How did you even leave your side!?" Kanji demanded.

"Of course I can come out. There's an exit," Teddie answered matter-of-factly. "It just never occurred to me to do it before. But spending time with you all sparked my curiosity about this world! I did wonder if it was a good idea, but my feet started moving before I could decide! And when I thought about it, I had nowhere to go, and it was a waste to go back. So I waited here for you."

"Teddie," I said seriously. "Did anyone enter the other world while you were there?"

"I stayed until the fog settled in on my side, but no one came," he answered.

"You sure?" Yosuke asked.

"I just said that I didn't! I was there all by myself, like always!" Teddie answered. I nodded. "Oh! Sensei's heart is radiating pure kindness!"

"Maybe King Moron was never on the other side," Chie said.

"I wanna go and give Rise-chan this!" Teddie said, taking out some pink, round glasses. I took it with a nod. "Rise-chan will probably back us up from now on! So I'm gonna fight alongside you with everything I got! Today begins the New Legend of Teddie!"

"Nice!" I said with a bright smile.

* * *

><p>"He didn't show up on the Midnight Channel," Chie said.<p>

"What's up with that?" Kanji asked. The rest of us shrugged.

"But we're sure that King Moron was never thrown into the TV," Yosuke sighed.

"Then what, he was killed over here?" Chie said.

"Probably," I answered.

"Why not just throw him into the TV, like all the rest?"

"Maybe they didn't want to. Maybe to throw us off the trail."

"Or maybe he couldn't kill any more people by throwing them into TVs," Yukiko added. "I mean, we prevented his last three attempts in a row."

"So they snuffed someone on our side this time to make sure it worked," Kanji said. "If that's true, then we have no way of preventing more murders unless we catch the killer!"

"We need more clues," Chie sighed. "I wonder if Rise-chan's up and around yet."

"Yeah…. We'll have to put our hopes on her," Yosuke said.

"Ugh… it's so hot out," Teddie sighed. "I'm taking this off."

And then he proceeded to unzip himself.

"T-Teddie!?" I cried as he took of his head.

Inside… was a blonde guy!?

His hair was swept to his left, as if the wind blew on it permanently. He picked up a water bottle and downed it before glancing around with this bright blue eyes.

"Hey, Chie-chan, Yuki-chan, Misaki-chan," he said with a wink. "Do you have anything to wear?" His voice was unusually deep…. "I'm basically like a newborn at the moment."

"Teddie? Is that really you…?" Chie asked in disbelief.

I stood up and announced, "Okay, let's get you some clothes!" I grabbed his paw and dragged him inside. "And make sure you keep the bottom half on!" Chie and Yukiko quickly followed us as the guys stared in disbelief.

* * *

><p>Teddie looked around at everything, mesmerized.<p>

"Wow, look at all the food!" he cried as I tugged on him.

"Shut up, Teddie!" Chie hissed. He broke free of my grasp and ran over to a food stand.

"Can I have some of that?" he asked the woman tending the stand excitedly.

"Teddie, let's get you into some clothes first," I muttered, pulling him away.

* * *

><p>When we passed by the women's section, he ran towards the bras and asked loudly, "What's this!?"<p>

"Sh!" Yukiko said.

"That's for girls," I replied as calmly as I could. "Now let's get going."

"Wow… so many dresses and skirts and shirts and pants and…" he blabbered as we dragged him towards the men's section.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so what do you want?" I asked, a bit exasperated. Teddie surveyed the area and went towards a white shirt with frills.<p>

"I like this," he said, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Okay, let's look for your… size…" I muttered..

With a sigh, I took the shirt off the hanger and told him to turn around. I placed the shirt against his back. It was too small.

"Is it good?" Teddie asked.

"No, it's way too small," Chie answered, shaking her head.

It took as a little while, but we found his size… especially in between telling him to get away from the food and ladies in the store.

* * *

><p>We led him to the pants section.<p>

"What pants do you want, Teddie?" Yukiko asked. Once again, he walked around, touching every pair of pants until he found some black dress pants. This time, it was the right size.

I glanced at the girls and whispered, "Do you think he needs any underwear?" They stared at me.

"Well… does he even have…" Chie muttered. Yukiko shook her head.

"Let's not get him any," she said. Chie and I nodded in agreement.

"You know… this shirt feels like it's missing something," Teddie mused. We glanced at him.

"Well… what do you want?" Chie asked.

"A rose," he answered with a smile. "It represents love, right? Well, if I get a rose, all the ladies are sure to fall for me!" We just stared at him.

* * *

><p>After we got his rose pin, we went to get him some socks and shoes. The socks were easy; the shoes were not.<p>

We realized that we had to take off his suit in order to make him try on shoes properly.

"Let's just pay for the clothes so he has something to wear," I suggested.

* * *

><p>"Wow, that's a lot!" Chie cried when she saw the price for the stuff. "We can put it on Yosuke's tab!"<p>

"No, wait," I interrupted, taking out my wallet. "Here." I handed the salesman the money.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Teddie," I said. "Do you know how to put on clothes?"<p>

"I think so," he replied, and I nodded.

"Now go into the dressing room and change into the clothes," I ordered.

* * *

><p>He came out looking like a mess.<p>

His shirt was wrinkled, the buttons were mismatched, and the dress pants were on backwards. He was holding his suit and head in his hands.

With a sigh, I unbuttoned his shirt and said, "You have to make sure the shirt is even on both sides." I pointed at the buttons. "Now try again." He dropped his suit and head and tried again. Luckily, Teddie got it right this time. I smoothed out his shirt and continued, "Okay, now the pants have this little slip of paper or something on the back. When you put on pants, make sure it's in the back, not the front." I pushed him towards the dressing rooms.

"Jeez, you're like his mom or something," Chie sighed as Yukiko giggled.

"Well, who else is gonna teach him?" I asked.

* * *

><p>Teddie came out a few moments later with the pants on correctly this time. I nodded my approval.<p>

"Now… the socks." I ripped the tag out of them and sat Teddie down in a chair. I explained to him how to put on the socks.

He actually got it right the first time.

* * *

><p>We got him the shoes and taught him how to put it on, but we decided to teach him how to tie them later.<p>

* * *

><p>The four of us finally saw the guys.<p>

"Sorry we're late…" Chie apologized. The guys were eating Topsicles in front of a shop.

"How'd it take you that long to find clothes for Ted?" Yosuke asked, glancing at Teddie. "Whoa! Is that you, Teddie!?

"Oui, monsieur! How do I look?" he replied with a seductive smirk.

"I can't believe it…. It's like, who is this guy…" Yosuke gasped, then smirked at me. "You know…. He kinda looks like someone… right, Misaki?"

"Huh?" I said, and glanced at Teddie.

"Sensei!" he cried, latching onto my arm. "We're like twins, right? Can I call you Big Sis?"

"Teddie, no!" I protested, trying to shake him off as Yosuke laughed at us. I glared at him.

"I have to say, it totally blew my mind, but he's Teddie all right," Chie said. "This guy had to make a huge ordeal…. Everything was new to him, so it turned into a big mess." She glared at Teddie. "Hey, you can't just go around doing whatever you please when you're in this form, got it?"

"Well, he can't help it. It's his first time in our world," Yukiko said. I nodded in agreement as Teddie stared at the floor and slackened his grip on me, saddened.

"You don't need to get all mopey like that," Chie sighed. "I never said I won't forgive you!"

"I'm so glad! I was worried that you didn't like me anymore," he replied with a smile.

"Man…. If you can behave yourself, you'll be pretty cute," Chie chuckled.

"What do you think, Kanji?" Yosuke teased.

"Huh? What're you asking me for?" Kanji replied, confused.

"Well, I was just wonder if he was your type," Yosuke shrugged with a smirk.

"Oh…. I get it," Kanji said with a scowl. "What you're really asking is… 'Will you please beat the sh*t out of me, Kanji?" Yukiko and I started laughing.

"You'll have to forgive them," Chie shook her head. "They're helpless."

"Ooh, please, everyone! Don't fight over me, baby," Teddie said.

"Shuddup! You picking a fight with me!?" Kanji yelled. Yosuke handed a bill to Kanji.

"Get whatever ice cream you want, just share it with Teddie," he said. "We're gonna head for the tofu shop. Wait here until we get back."

"Aw, Yosuke," I laughed. "Being more responsible now, are you?"

Teddie and Kanji walked away together, and the four of us made our way to the tofu shop.

* * *

><p>"Ah…. I had a feeling you'd come," the short boy with the blue hat said as he came out of the tofu shop. "Are you here to ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa now?"<p>

"You're that guy we saw with Kanji!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Precisely. I don't believe we've met since then," the boy said. "In fact, I don't believe I've ever introduced myself. My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here. Mind if I ask you a few questions on the subject?"

"Why us?" I asked. He waved a hand dismissively.

"The latest victim, Kinshiro Morooka…. He was a teacher at the school you all attend, correct?" I nodded. "The public is focused on the fact that he is associated with the second victim's school…. But in truth, that's irrelevant. What intrigues me is the inconsistency. This Morooka… has never appeared on television." I tried to keep a straight face. "What do you make of that?" He stared straight at me. I forced myself to meet it straight on.

"How are we supposed to know?" Yosuke answered.

"Well, we'll leave it at that," Naoto said. "For my part, I'd like to solve this case as quickly as possible." We locked eyes again. _How much does he know? _"I'll be keeping an eye on you all. Until we meet again." He walked away.

"Who is that guy…?" Yosuke muttered.

"It felt like he completely saw through us…. He even knew about the TV thing," Chie said.

"Hi," Rise greeted.

"Hey! How're you feeling?" I asked. She nodded.

"Are you all here to check up on me?" she asked. I nodded. "Do you guys have a moment?"

* * *

><p>Rise led us to the shrine.<p>

"I remember being at my house," she said. "When I came to, though, I was already in the other world."

"We met this weird kid named Naoto a second ago…" Yosuke said.

"He's come to the shop several times. He asked me a lot about the incident. I didn't tell him anything about the other world, though. I figured it'd be a waste of time," Rise replied. "Actually, he asked me about you guys too, but I just made up some stuff. Umm…." She glanced around anxiously. "I-I really appreciate what you did for me…. Thank you sooo much! I love you guys!" She just became ten times brighter than before.

"You don't have to thank us!" Chie said.

"She's so cute!" Yosuke sighed. "Man, it's finally hitting me that you're the real deal. You really are Risette."

"Well, I know I sounded gloomy and all from stress, so… I-I thought you might not like me that way," she explained. "Do I sound weird?"

"It's fine," I replied with a warm smile.

"Oh, but I guess it sounds more 'natural' this way to the public," she sighed with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry…. I've practically lost touch with what the normal me is like."

"No need to apologize. Just do what comes naturally," Chie said with a nod.

"I think everyone has multiple sides to them. You don't have to force yourself to decide on just one," Yukiko added.

"Thanks," Rise said. "I'm glad you're the first people I got to know here."

"Oh yeah," I said, handing her the glasses Teddie made. "Take 'em if you want."

"Senpai…. Would you be struggling without my help?" she asked sincerely. "I can help you in that world, right? With my power…. So wouldn't it be better if I joined the team?"

"That'd be great!" I exclaimed, wrapping her hands around the glasses. "You'll need these."

"These are kinda like proof that you're one of us," Yosuke explained.

"Also, they help you see through the fog in the other world," I added. "And it helps with the fatigue too."

"I see…. I do remember you all wearing glasses over there," she said. "Thank, Senpai! Now I'm part of the team, too!"

"Glad to have you," I replied.

"I'll be going to Yasogami High, starting tomorrow," she explained. "But I don't have any friends yet, so don't ignore me, all right? I do owe you my life, so… you know…."

"Leave it to me," I said.

"Wow…. I didn't realize you were so cool, Senpai." Rise looked at me in admiration. Have I gotten that look before?

"This is a rough time to transfer, though," Yosuke told her. "The kidnappings, King Moron's death…. All that, and exams are soon, too." He let out a long sigh. "Now I'm depressing myself. I wonder if there's any chance they'll be canceled."

"I doubt it," Chie scoffed. "They always hold exams, rain or shine."

"I almost got killed by those monsters," Rise laughed. "Compared to that, exams are nothing,"

"All righty then. Let's discuss the case some more tomorrow at our special headquarters," Yosuke said.

"Yo. How's it going?" Kanji asked, walking up behind us. "Dude, Teddie ate five Topsicles. Though, if you count the ones I had before, that makes six, so I still win."

"We're all done talking already," Rise told him and looked at me with a bright smile. "Let's go, Senpai!"

"Uh…. When did you get so chipper?" Kanji muttered.

"Do you go to Yasogami, like Senpai? I'll be starting school there tomorrow, so I hope we get along too," Rise said brightly.

"Oh… cool," Kanji replied. "Uh…. What grade are you in?"

"So where's Teddie?" Yosuke asked.

"He's over there. What're we gonna do with him?" Kanji replied with a shrug.

"Well…. I guess I'll take him home," Yosuke sighed.

I leaned over to him and whispered, "Teddie still hasn't learned to tie his shoes yet. Teach him, will you?" I patted his back with a smirk.

"Fine," he groaned.

**(Evening)**

The news was talking about the death of King Moron, and they showed a picture of his corpse.

He was hanging upside down on a pole… just like Saki was. Too bad they couldn't take a very clear picture of the corpse…. There might've been clues on there.

"What's wrong?" Nanako asked me. "Was it someone you know?"

"He was a teacher at my school…" I replied.

"He died?" I nodded, and she shivered.

"It's okay. I'm here with you," I said. "It'll be fine…."

"Dad won't be coming home again today…."

I decided to show Nanako another magic trick to cheer her up. I made it seem like I moved a finger from one hand to the other.

She definitely cheered up.

"Tell me! Tell me how you did it!" she demanded.

I laughed and showed her the trick before putting her to bed and heading up into my room.

* * *

><p>I found myself in the Velvet Room.<p>

"Welcome," Igor greeted with a smile. "It's been quite some time…. Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world…. I have summoned you within your dreams. How are things proceeding…? Are you gradually drawing nearer to a solution to the mystery?"

"I don't know yet," I replied with a shake of my head. "Someone just died in the real world…." I sighed. "And we don't even know who the culprit is."

"Indeed. The fog clouding your path is thick…" Igor said.

"The season has changed, but your future is not yet closed," Margaret assured me. "In time, a path will open to you."

"Our true reason for calling you here tonight is to provide a new form of assistance to help you achieve just that," Igor explained. "Fusing Personas…. Have you been using our services diligently?" _Wouldn't you know, Igor? I mean… YOU FREAKING FUSED THEM YOURSELF._ "The aid we will henceforth provide is an advanced form of fusion…. I speak of the power to fuse four or more Personas at once. I am quite certain that this will enable you to command even stronger powers. Now… your journey will soon reach its climax. And as a result, many challenges―which I cannot foresee at present―await you. Most interesting…." He chuckled. "Well, until we meet again…. Farewell."

And then everything faded to black.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh my god, I didn't go on another hiatus!**

**Yeah, it's weird, right? XD**

**Well... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was kinda running out of ideas here. XP**


	71. They Found the Killer?

**Sunday, 7/11 (Early Morning)**

Everyone was talking about King Moron's murder when someone came into the classroom.

The first thing I noticed were her breasts. Even if you weren't trying to look, they'll draw you in. Seriously.

With difficulty, I tore my eyes away from them and looked at her face.

Her light brown hair hugged the sides of her face. Her bright red lips looked like they were assaulted with lipstick and were bleeding to death.

The woman swept her eyes across the room.

"Gooooood mornin'," she greeted casually. "I'm Noriko Kashiwagi, your new class teacher starting today."

"More like Ms. Boobs," I muttered under my breath. Yukiko snickered, and Yosuke and Chie scoffed, trying to hide their smiles.

"You all probably know already, but now that Mr. Morooka has passed away… I'll be taking good care of you instead," she giggled. "Okay, why don't we start off with a moment of silence for Mr. Morooka. Close your eyes, everyone…." _Can you not say it so seductively!? I feel like I'm about to be raped over here…._

After a moment, she said, "That should be enough." I opened my eyes to find her sitting with her legs crossed on the desk. "I'll do my best to fill Mr. Morooka's shoes. So our regular exams are still on track for next week." I sighed. "As your principal said, 'It's times like these when the schedule is most important, Nori-chan.' Ah, it must be tough for you. But that's what it means to become and adult, little by little. Oh, and one more thing." Then she started talking crap about Rise Kujikawa.

"This school year is going SO great so far," I said sarcastically.

"Tell me about it," Yosuke groaned.

Then we overheard a guy saying Rise was on a striptease show.

"The rumor about the Midnight Channel is spreading further…" Chie whispered.

"We'd better wrap this case up quick. Anyways, let's meet up later. Don't make any plans for this afternoon," Yosuke commanded.

**(After School)**

The Investigation Team met up at the secret headquarters. We talked about the exams and the case for a bit. We played with the idea that he hated some of us, but we weren't so sure.

"So why don't we split up and―" Chie began.

"That won't be necessary," a familiar voice interrupted. "There is no need to examine the case of Mr. Morooka any further." It was Naoto. "Apparently, the police have found a suspect. It would be best to let them handle the case from here."

"How do you know?" Yosuke asked.

"I'm on this case as a special investigator," Naoto answered.

"Who's the suspect?" I inquired.

"As to his name, I haven't been informed. I do know… that he is a high schooler," he answered. "It isn't public knowledge yet, but he isn't a student of your high school. It seems they are quite confident that this boy is the killer. They have testimonies directly linking him with the incident. I expect it's only a matter of time before he is apprehended. Soon, this case will be solved, and your town will once again be its peaceful, rustic self."

"All right…. So why come tell us?" Yosuke asked.

"Your 'game' will soon reach its end," Naoto said. "I felt I should at least let you know that." _Game!?_ But I decided to play it cool.

"Well, thanks for letting us know," I replied.

"You don't deny, then, that you have involved yourselves in the matter?" he muttered. "Well, no matter. I have no reason to say anything further."

"A game…?" Rise growled. "Aren't you the one who thinks of this as a game?" Naoto's eyes widened. "I don't care if you're a special investigator or an amateur sleuth, all you're doing is solving mysteries. What could you possibly know about us? You're the one who's playing a game here!"

"One of the victims…. She meant a lot to me. How could I possibly treat this like a game?" Yosuke yelled. "Plus…."

"We made a promise… right, Teddie?" I continued, smiling at him.

"A game…" Naoto repeated with a grim smile. "That may be quite true."

"Oh, I get it. I was wondering why you'd be wandering around like this when the police have a suspect," Yosuke said with a smirk. "Did they get rid of you now that they have their man? Is that why you came here? You were lonely?"

"Detectives normally aren't involved with arrests. And we never harbor any special emotions regarding a case, either," Naoto replied. "Still…. It is rather unfortunate that people are only attentive so long as our services are required. But then, I'm accustomed to it." I stared at him. "Much about this case was perplexing, but its solution was surprisingly simple. Well then, I'll be going now." He walked away.

"What was that about? He just said his piece and left?" Chie sighed. "He said they have a suspect… but is this really gonna solve everything?"

"Who knows," Yosuke sighed.

"Well… we can't let our guard down," I said. Everyone nodded.

We decided to call it a day

* * *

><p>I found Naoto standing near the river. He looked troubled…. I don't know what compelled me to go up to him.<p>

"Hey," I said, walking up to Naoto. _What the hell am I doing!?_

"... Hello," he replied.

"So that high schooler…. They think he's the one who killed King―Mr. Morooka?" I asked.

"... Yes." He furrowed his eyebrows and glared at me. "Why do you want to know? Don't you realize that your little game is―"

"Hey," I interrupted, glancing at him. "Don't say that we're treating it like a game when you are." I sighed.

We stood side by side in awkward silence.

"So… you live around here?" I asked.

"... I live nearby," Naoto answered.

"Have any hobbies?"

"... I like to solve puzzles and such."

Another awkward pause.

"Oh, right! I haven't gotten a chance to introduce myself," I laughed. "I'm Misaki Ishida."

"That's an… unusual name for an… American?"

"Yeah," I chuckled. "Well, my mom named me. She's Japanese."

"Did you use your mom's last name?"

"No…. My dad's half Japanese, so…." I glanced away. "Yeah." I laughed. "It's complicated. So, uh…. What were you doing here?"

"Thinking." I simply nodded. He's probably thinking about the case still. It's almost like he's obsessed.

Naoto let out a sigh, interrupting my thoughts. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to go now." He turned around and tugged on his hat before stalking up the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Nowadays, I've been losing interest in this story, so I'm gonna go on a hiatus for a while. I'm planning to return to this story, though, so don't worry about that too much.**

**Well, thanks for reading.**


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